ABUJA: The Federal Government of Nigeria and the Republic of Benin have jointly launched operation “Hawk Descend” against smuggling of poultry products through Benin into Nigeria.
The occasion which took place at Seme Border on Tuesday attracted dignitaries and agencies from both countries.
Addressing a crowd at the event, the National President of Poultry Association of Nigeria, PAN, Dr Ayoola Odutan, decried the effect of poultry smuggling on Nigeria’s economy, especially the hazardous nature of poultry products such as chicken and turkey which, according to him, researchers had proved are loaded with harmful microbes.
He said the smuggling has created unemployment among Nigerians in the poultry sector.
Dr. Ayoola said statistics available to PAN shows that about 81% of frozen poultry products are sold more in our major cities like Lagos, Ibadan, Warri, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Abuja, etc.
According to him, the quantity of poultry products that found its way into the Nigerian market from Europe and Benin in 2014 alone stood at 164,791 tons.
He called on the authorities to check the ugly trend that costs this nation USD 2.5 billion.
Controller of Customs, Seme Command, Ndalati Garuba Muhammed, called on other agencies concerned to partner with them to stop this menace.
According to him, “Seme is the busiest border in West Africa. Because of its strategic position, the Nigerian Customs Service are poised to carry out their constitutional obligations of facilitating an enabling environment for legitimate trade.”
He said their efforts through capacity development initiative and logistic support of the Controller General of Customs, Alhaji Inde Dikko, had drastically reduced smuggling which has improved Customs revenue generation.
In his remarks, the spokesperson of NAFDAC explained that most people eat the smuggled poultry products without taking into consideration the dangers they pose to their lives.
He warned about how harmful the preservative chemical could be to the health of consumers of the smuggled poultry products.
