Nigeria Destroys 2.5 Tons of Confiscated Elephant Ivory Worth IDR 174 Billion

Illustration of elephant tusk. (Wikimedia Commons/Save Elephants)

JAKARTA - Nigerian authorities on Tuesday destroyed 2.5 tons of confiscated elephant ivory, worth more than 11.2 million US dollars (IDR 174,326,320,000), in an effort to protect the elephant population which is dwindling due to rampant wildlife smuggling.

Over the past three decades, Nigeria's elephant population has plummeted from an estimated 1,500 to less than 400 due to ivory poaching, habitat loss and human-elephant conflict, according to conservationists.

Minister of State for the Environment Iziaq Salako said the government destroyed the tusks and would use the powder to build a symbolic monument to the national park, as a reminder of the importance of elephants in the ecosystem, reported by Reuters, January 10.

The ivory destruction was carried out in the capital Abuja, following a similar incident in October, where officials destroyed four tonnes of confiscated pangolin scales worth USD 1.4 million.

It is known that thousands of elephants are killed every year for their ivory, despite a 1989 ban on ivory trade by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Despite being a CITES signatory country, Nigeria is considered a hub for gangs shipping illegal African wildlife body parts, including ivory and pangolin scales to Asia, according to law enforcement and wildlife experts.

However, the West African nation has stepped up efforts to combat trafficking in recent years, partnering with British, US and German officials as well as international organizations to make the largest ever seizure of illegal wildlife body parts in August 2021.

Last month, officials began an investigation after a video posted on social media showed a soldier shooting two elephants that had strayed on farmland, sparking anger among residents.

In 2022, Nigerian customs officers seized 1,613 tonnes of pangolin scales and arrested 14 people.