On the 11 March 2017, the East regional delegation of Forestry and Wildlife were contacted by the service of Customs about the seizure of 177 elephant tusks. They accused persons were arrested while waiting for IBRAHIM AOUDOU a custom officer who had to give them safe passage. They were prosecuted before the Court of First Instance, Bertoua for illegal killing of totally protected animal species (Elephants) and illegal detention and circulation of their trophies. ZAKARI Daouda and Aboubakar were found guilty and sentenced to 4 and 3 months imprisonment terms respectively while HAYATOU was discharged and acquitted for lack of insufficient incriminating evidence against him. They were all to pay 13.891.090 for costs, and 253.575.000 XAF for civil damages. The legal department and Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife both filed an appeal for the review of the pecuniary and penitentiary sentence. The accused also filed an appeal against the decision laying claims that they were acting under instructions of the owners (ISSIAKA ABDOURAMAN alias Boban, ABOUBAKAR ALLASAN alias Bebe and ALHADJI ALI alias Coco) owners of the ivory loot. It was based on all this that the matter was admitted and enrolled before the East Court of Appeal.