… Nigerians react
The Federal Government destroyed 2.5 tons of confiscated elephant tusks worth over $11.2 million (9.9 billion Naira) as part of efforts to safeguard its diminishing elephant population.
The elephant tusks seized from wildlife traffickers were destroyed in Abuja, Nigeria on January 09, 2024.
Asides the elephant tusks, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) incinerated 2.436.15 kg of skin from other species worth over N9.9 billion, as part of the agency’s move to combat the illegal ivory trade and protect the nation’s dwelling elephant population.
The reactions
Nigerians have been reacting since the news broke out, and while some saw this as a groundbreaking development, several others questioned the initiative – asking why would such amount of resources be destroyed, rather than used for the good of the country.