Customs shut SAHCOL, NAHCo warehouses over alleged stolen donkey skins

Following the alleged theft of donkey skins imported from Kenya, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has shut down the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCo) Aviance Plc and the Skyway Aviation Handling Company Ltd (SAHCOL) export warehouses.

When MARKETING EDGE visited the facilities at the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMIA), Lagos, the warehouses were still under lock and key.

One of the Customs officials who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, noted that the agency was forced to close the warehouses following a tip-off that some Chinese citizens were allegedly using the NCS officials to smuggle contraband items to their home country.

The source further stressed that two Chinese citizens had been arrested in connection with the seized items.

MARKETING EDGE, however, gathered that the Chinese citizens had brought the said donkey skins into Nigeria from Kenya to use Nigerian freight forwarders to finally ship them to their country.

The sealing off of the warehouses is coming on the heels of the Kenyan government lamenting the theft and smuggling of donkey skins by foreign nationals.

When contacted to speak on how much the handling companies may be losing as a result of the closure of the export warehouses, spokesman of SAHCOL, Mr. Basil Agboarumi, who confirmed the development, said that he could not quantify the revenue loss, but said it was running into millions.