Katsina — Until recently when it caught the attention of some members of the state House of Assembly, not many people in Katsina State cared about the business of the buying and selling donkeys in some major markets in the state.

Few people knew trade in donkeys has become a flourishing business involving millions of naira, and upon which up to a thousand people rely on as a source of livelihood.

At the Mai'adua International Sunday Market, Weekly Trust observed that the business of donkey trade flourishes with nearly 800 donkeys on ground. People came from far and near into the market to but or sell donkeys for different purposes.

Some of the buyers who spoke with our correspondent said they buy donkey for reselling, for they use as beast for domestic purposes. There were also traders who buy the donkeys to transport down south for slaughter.

When the business is at its peak, three to four trailer-loads of donkeys were being sold and transported to the south.

At the other two main markets of Jibia and Dankama, and the smaller markets in Charanci, Batsari and Kaita, the price of a donkey ranges from N5,000 to N9,000. There are about 50 agents for the trade in donkeys in these markets. One of them, Salisu Kwandala, told Weekly Trust that he makes an average of N1,000 from the N30 to N40 commission per donkey he facilitates to sell.

Chairman of the donkey sellers association in the area, Ahmed Abubakar Adidas, said traders need a capital base of at least N1 million to fill up a trailer and transport it to the markets in Aba, Umuahia, Abakaliki and other parts of the south.

One Ike Kingsley, who our reporter met buying donkeys, said about 3,000 people in Abo in Delta state relied on him for their livelihood. These include his boys who offload the donkeys from the trailer, those who chain them after offloading and those who kill the donkeys for onward distribution.

Kinsley said he has been in the donkey business for over 17 years. Kingsley wife is also into the business where she focuses on buying donkeys with physical deformity to be used only for eating.

Malam Ado Ibrahim, a trader from Tofa Local government area of Kano state, said he and some other colleagues bought some donkeys to convey farm produce home in the next harvesting season.

On the fear of the donkeys going extinct because of the daily trade to the southern part of the country where they are killed, a trader, Umaru Sanda, said once the donkey goes extinct, it means the world is going to an end.

Kinsley said there was an attempt by then Governor James Ibori to stop the business, but had to jettison it when thousands of people in about 40 buses in Asaba protested the idea because the government could not provide them alternative jobs.

"May be it's the handiwork of some people who do not like the business, not that because it will extinct, because its like fowl, goat and the rest. We don't rear it in the east but we carry it in millions daily to go and slaughter. But they have not finished?" Kingsley said.

I Adidas, who is in the business for the past 25 years, said there is no harm in the business. He said stopping the trade would rob thousands of their source of living.

The chairman said his members were shocked when they heard of the move by the state assembly to ban donkey trade. He said they sent a delegation to the speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon Ya'u Umar Gojo-Gojo, who assured them that the house would not do anything that would negatively affect people's livelihood.

Adidas appealed to Governor Ibrahim Shema to devise means of empowering the donkey sellers through soft loans to enable them to boost their business.

It is still unclear whether the bill sponsored by the member representing Kurfi constituency in the state assembly, Hon Danlami Mohammed Kurfi, will be passed or not. Kurfi had asked the house to stop the indiscriminate sale of donkeys because the specie is about to go extinct. A similar move in the previous assembly was inconclusive.