Wildlife Smuggling: Seme Customs Intercepts Travelers With 94 Birds , Arrests 2 Suspects

The Seme Command of Nigeria Customs Service has for the second time in one week, intercepted a total of 94 birds from suspected wildlife smugglers who attempted moving them in and out of Nigeria.

Giving details of the seizures, Comptroller Timi Bomodi, Customs Area Controller of the command said the discoveries were made during examination of commercial vehicles traveling across the frontier

Bomodi said “On the 27th and 28th of September at about 2100hrs and 1200hrs respectively, Officers and Men of the Nigeria Customs Service, Seme Area Command while on patrol along Seme – Badagry Expressway, intercepted a public transport bus en route from Togo to Nigeria and another bus from Katsina to Benin Republic.

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“The examination of these buses revealed that, Sixty (60) Green parrots, Fourteen (14) Budgerigar Parrots, Six (6) Eastern Rosella Parrots, Two (2) Macaw Parrots, One (1) White Cockatoo Parrots, Four (4) Rose Ringed Parakeets parrots, One (1) Maidain Dock Birds, Three (3) Love Birds and Four (4) other Birds were discovered. About Ten (10) of these birds have died due to the trauma of transporting them in this condition. Two (2) suspects were also arrested in connection with the seizure.

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“The said Parrots and other Birds have a duty paid value (DPV) of N24,912,928 only. The Customs Area Controller, Compt. Timi Bomodi condemned this criminal act by some members of the society and reiterated that trade in endangered wildlife contravenes the Convention on International Trade On Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) which is an International Agreement between Governments of which Nigeria is a signatory

Bomodi said  that the perpetrators of this illicit trade will continue to meet their Waterloo so long as they refuse to stay off of the  Lagos – Abidjan corridor.

In line with the dictates of the Nigeria Customs Service of promoting inter-agency collaboration and synergy, the seized Parrots and other Birds have been handed over to the Officials of the National Park Service as it is their responsibility to rehabilitate and protect them from further harm.