Customs shuts NAHCo, SAHCOL exports warehouses at Lagos Airport

The Nigeria Customs Service on Tuesday sealed off the warehouses of the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCo Aviance) and the Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL) over alleged stolen donkey skins from Kenya.
The News Agency of Nigeria aviation Correspondent who visited the two warehouses found that the export warehouses were locked while the import warehouses were opened.
The sealing off of the warehouses is coming just as the Kenyan Government continues to have sleepless nights over the stealing and smuggling of donkey skins by foreign nationals.
A source close to the Customs told NAN that the agency decided to close the warehouses following a tip-off that some Chinese citizens were using the Nigerian Customs Service officials to export the contraband to their home country.
The officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added that investigation by NCS revealed that some Chinese nationals in Nigeria were using the seaports and airports to illegally smuggle Kenyan treasures to their country.
The source further said two Chinese had been arrested in connection with the seized items.
The source revealed that these Chinese had brought the items into Nigeria from Kenya to use Nigerian freight forwarders to finally assist them in shipping the items to their country.
The Head of Public Affairs of NAHCo Aviance, Tayo Ajakaye, said he would get back, while SAHCOL spokesman, Basil Agboarumi, confirmed the development, adding that the NCS was still investigating the matter.
NAN had earlier reported that the NCS had in June this year arrested two Chinese nationals when they attempted to smuggle 678 pieces of elephant tusks and other prohibited items out of Nigeria through SAHCOL.
The Customs Area Comptroller, MMIA Command, Frank Allannah, had said the other prohibited items seized from the suspected smugglers included eight sacks of pangolin weighing 381 Kilogrammes.
Allannah said the suspects’ action contravened Schedule 6 of the Nigerian Exports Prohibition List, which prescribes as illegal any attempt to export wild animals and endangered species.
He noted that the suspects had been remanded in custody pending further investigation.
Allannah said the impounded items would be handed over to the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency.
NAN.