The Nigerian Government recently seized and destroyed 2.5 tons of elephant tusks valued at over $11.2 million. The purpose of this initiative aims to protect the dwindling elephant population by sending a strong message against illegal wildlife trafficking in Nigeria. Also the destroyed ivory will now be pulverized into a powder, which will be used to build a monument symbolizing the importance of elephants and Nigeria’s determination to protect them.
Nigeria has become a hub for illegal ivory sales, with tusks smuggled in from all over the continent. Thousands of elephants are killed each year for their tusks despite a 1989 ban on the trade of ivory by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
This action is part of Nigeria’s increased efforts to counter smuggling and illegal wildlife trade.
