140 Live Snakes, Other Weird Animals Worth N6.9m Intercepted At Nigerian Border

No fewer than 140 species of live snakes and about 600 other animals to include geckos, millipedes, hairy frogs and spiders, were reportedly intercepted at border by the Nigerian customs.

This was according to Mrs. Nanbyen Burromvyat, the Nigerian Customs Area Comptroller in charge of Calabar Free Trade Zone, Cross River and Akwa Ibom Command.

Mrs. Burromvyat, who disclosed interception of the animals in three containers from Cameroon on July 24, 2017, valued the consignments at about N6.9 million.

She said the items, trapped at the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) jetty in calabr, were Lagos-bound.

Mrs. Burromvyat noted that the items are proscribed under Schedule 3 of the Revised Import Prohibition List (Trade) in the Common External Tariff.

“These containers have animals of different sizes. They were brought in on July 24, 2017, through this Calabar waterway. The consignment was spotted by our vigilant officers and they contain live animals.

“There is no provision for permit to bring them in. We are seizing them and handing the containers over to the Nigerian Quarantine Services for further necessary action.

“I do not know what they want to do with it, but I think it will be dangerous for us because it contains snake, spiders, geckos and other creatures. We have enough snakes around Nigeria already and it will be suspicious importing this. I do not know what to think because I do not know what they can be used for,” said Mrs. Burromvyat.