The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has found two slaughterhouses mainly used for butchering donkeys in Gombi Local Government Area (LGA) of Adamawa State.
Abubakar Aliyu, who leads the Adamawa office of NESREA, shared this news in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Yola, the capital of Adamawa State.
NAN reports that the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Services (Establishment) Act 2017 has strict rules for donkey slaughtering and the operation of abattoirs.
Aliyu said the abattoirs are in Muchalla and Kwanta Muchalla villages within Gombi LGA.
"After receiving a tip from concerned citizens, the agency visited the suspected locations in Muchalla and Kwanta Muchalla villages in Gombi Local Government Area.
"During our visit, we found two local abattoirs where donkeys were being slaughtered," Mr. Aliyu explained.
He noted that there are more than 20 workers at these sites and about 50 donkeys are slaughtered each week, according to their findings.
After a detailed investigation, it was found that the facility is privately owned. The operators claimed they had permits from the Gombi local government council, the state ministry for livestock, and Gombi Chiefdom.
Mr. Aliyu expressed concern that the large-scale slaughtering of donkeys in the state is alarming and could lead to their extinction.
ThankGod Stumpit, who manages the slaughterhouses, told NAN that he has been in this business for four years.
"We are running this business with the consent and permission of the Gombi Local Government Authority, and we pay revenue to them.
"In fact, the state government, the police, and Gombi Traditional Council are all aware of what we are doing," Mr. Stumpit stated.
When contacted, Sulaiman Aminu, the Permanent Secretary of the Adamawa State Ministry for Livestock Development, said the ministry did not know about these activities.
"That is not true. The ministry is not aware of any illegal activity, and no permits were issued.
"We actually have a special unit that fights against the killing of endangered animal species.
"We will look into this matter, and anyone found guilty will face the law," Mr. Sulaiman said.
NAN also reports that the Adamawa/Taraba Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has seized and destroyed over 3,712 pieces of donkey hide and skin from 2023 to date, in line with Schedule 15 of the NCS Act, 2023.
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