Guest guest Posted July 3, 2002 Report Share Posted July 3, 2002 Government Moves to Protect Endangered Species Daily Trust (Abuja) July 3, 2002 Posted to the web July 3, 2002 Victor Akobundu The Minister of Environment, Alhaji Muhammadu Kabir Sa'id, has reiterated the Federal Government's commitment to checking the spate of deplorable international trade and ill treatment of the nations endangered wildlife. The Minister gave this indication at a news conference recently. According to the Minister, the Ministry has outlined measures aimed at curbing future occurrences. These include strengthening ports and borders. He promised the accelerated completion of the on-going review of wildlife regulations towards enhanced enforcement and the establishment of a committee to investigate the current incidence in order to bring the culprits to book. Alhaji Sa'id said this move came in the wake of series of letters to the Minister from various conservationists and environmentalists as well as from the secretariat of the convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in Switzerland over fraudulent activities of some unpatriotic Nigerians and their foreign collaborators who forge travel documents to perpetrate their heinous actions which involve cruel and ill-treatment of animals. Such reports made available include the one on Sept. 17, 2001 in which a baby Gorilla and a Chimpanzee were drowned at Cairo airport by Government Veterinarians and an Egyptian-Nigerian woman who was alleged to have exported the animals without valid CITES export permit. Also mentioned exportation of Gorillas from Nigeria to Malaysia in January 2002 and the case of illegal exportation of 191 US bound Royal Pythons that went through Nigeria from Benin Republic but subsequently impounded in the UK. The Minister however expressed displeasure over the cruel treatment of animals and warned on the activities of Nigerian perpetrators and their foreign collaborators adding that Government would through appropriate authorities seize and repatriate such illegally exported wildlife and wildlife based artefacts. Dr. Shirley McGreal, Chairwoman International Primate Protection League POB 766, Summerville SC 29484-0766, USA Ph. 843-871-2280 Fax. 843-871-7988 E-mail: ippl. Website www.ippl.org " We need not think alike to love alike. " Francis David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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