Nigeria Customs Service Catches 52 Elephant Tusks Worth N300 Million

The Nigeria Customs Service intercepted 52 units of elephant tusks worth N300 million in Mfum, a border town of Ikom Local Government Area of Cross River State.

Ahmed Waziri, the Customs Area Comptroller for Cross River State, Cross River Free Trade Zone, and Akwa Ibom Command disclosed this news on Monday in a press conference held in Calabar city.

Waziri revealed that the arrest took place on Thursday, noting that the elephant tusk weighed 200 kilograms and was valued at N300 million. The person arrested with the tusk Mohammed Ibrahim is Cameroon-based.

He was smuggling the tusk in a Honda SUV truck with registration number, FST 733 HH and Chassis No 2KZYK16428H500704. Aside from the tusk, the customs officers also found a pistol with live ammunition in the truck.

"This arrest should be a warning that Nigeria will not be used as a transit route for illicit products," Waziri said, PremiumTimes reported. "They should also know that Nigeria is a signatory to CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), an international agreement between governments."

He added, "It is important our border communities wake up and live up to their responsibilities because many of such items pass through their domain in most cases without their knowledge. The communities have a role to play as security is everybody's business so we must be vigilant."

He further shared that the suspect carried the tusks from Cameroon using Nigeria as a transit route probably to his final destination. However, the suspect has been arrested with the elephant tusks, which have been kept in the government warehouse.

Waziri praised the officers deployed at "Mfum for being able to intercept those items worth over N300 million and also apprehending the suspect," adding that the legal unit is already working on this case and the suspect will be charged in court immediately following the investigation is completed.

Two months back, the Nigeria Customs Service caught criminals using fake presidential number plates to smuggle expensive vehicles into the country. The NCS is responsible for controlling smuggling activities and facilitating trade while implementing other government policies.