Customs In Major Win Fight Against Wildlife Trafficking

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Borno/Yobe Area Command, has intercepted endangered wildlife species and smuggled goods in separate operations along major routes in Maiduguri, reinforcing efforts to curb illicit trade and protect Nigeria’s biodiversity.

According to a statement issued on 9 April 2026 by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Customs, Abdullahi Ubali, the seizures were made on Thursday, April 9, 2026, along Kano Road in Maiduguri.

The statement disclosed that operatives intercepted two hyenas, one porcupine, and 24 African crowned crane birds concealed in a Mercedes-Benz wagon with registration number ABJ 517 AR. The wildlife species, it noted, are listed under Appendix I and II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, which affords them the highest level of protection against illegal trade.

Ubali explained that the interception underscores the Command’s commitment to combating wildlife trafficking, adding that protecting endangered species remains a core statutory responsibility of the NCS.

“It is one of the mandates of the NCS to ensure that wildlife species are protected, and their survival is not threatened,” the statement read.

According to the statement, the seized animals have a Duty Paid Value (DPV) estimated at ₦10 million.

Reacting to the development, the Customs Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller Abdullahi Idris, warned that the Service would not tolerate wildlife trafficking within its area of responsibility.

“We will not tolerate wildlife trafficking in our territory. We are working tirelessly with relevant partners and sister agencies to protect Nigeria’s wildlife heritage and bring perpetrators to justice,” Idris was quoted as saying in the statement.

In a related operation, the Command intercepted a Volkswagen Golf vehicle along the Nguru–Gashua Road in Yobe State. The vehicle was found to be conveying 65 cartons of foreign juice branded “Djino Cocktail de Fruits,” concealed with two 50kg bags of Arabic gum and sugar.

The smuggled items were valued at ₦2.73 million, bringing the cumulative Duty Paid Value of all seizures to ₦12.73 million.

The Command urged members of the public to remain law-abiding and to support enforcement efforts by providing credible information that could help tackle wildlife trafficking and other forms of smuggling.