The Nigerian Customs Service's Adamawa/Taraba Command has intercepted contraband with a duty-paid value of more than N362 million along the country's borders with Cameroon and Chad over a six-month period. The seizures were disclosed by the Comptroller of the Command, Mohammed Abdullahi Itako, at a media briefing at its headquarters in Yola, Adamawa State.
Among the items seized was a low bed trailer transporting a motor grader that was allegedly bound for export to the Republic of Chad. The command also recovered large quantities of premium motor spirit, commonly known as petrol, during multiple operations across border communities.
In total, officers seized 25,995 litres of petrol, the equivalent of 1,003 jerricans, along with one drum. They also intercepted nine kilograms of cannabis sativa during the operations.
The haul further included a significant quantity of protected wildlife products: 220 kilograms of pangolin scales, 64 pieces of complete raw donkey skin and about 534.55 kilograms of dried donkey meat.
Several vehicles were impounded as well, among them a low bed truck, the motor grader and a Toyota Hiace bus that had been used in the smuggling attempts.
The Comptroller said that smuggling petroleum products, endangered wildlife species and cannabis directly undermines national security, endangers public health and damages economic stability, adding that the command maintains a zero-tolerance stance on illicit trade.
Itako announced that the seized donkey skins would be destroyed immediately in collaboration with relevant interagency partners, in line with the provisions of the Nigerian Customs Service Act of 2023.