By Correspondent in Lagos.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Command, Lagos, has intercepted a cargo containing over 1,620 endangered birds illegally bound for export to Kuwait.
The Area Controller of the command, Comptroller Michael Awe, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday in Lagos.
According to him, the illegal shipment of the Ringneck Parakeets (Parrots) and Canaries, (Green and Yellow-Fronted) are bound for illegal export to Kuwait was uncovered on July 31 by vigilant officers at the airport’s control post.
Awe said the birds are protected species and should not be traded without proper documentation.
“These live birds, over 1,620 in number, are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES),” he stated.
“As Nigeria is a signatory to the CITES agreement, it is our duty to ensure that international trade involving endangered species complies with established regulations.
” This particular shipment lacked the required CITES permit and other legal documentation to prove that the birds were obtained through lawful means,” Awe explained.
He emphasized that the command remains committed to preventing the smuggling of endangered species and other illegal exports through the airport.
Comptroller Awe also revealed that the birds would be handed over to the National Parks Service (NPS) for appropriate care and handling, in line with inter-agency collaboration and the policy thrust of the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, who currently serves as Chairman of the World Customs Organisation Council.
He added that a thorough investigation is underway to identify and apprehend those behind the illegal shipment.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
