The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Area Command, has intercepted a consignment of endangered wildlife, including a lion cub and two patas monkeys, during a routine stop-and-search operation along the Badagry–Seme Expressway.
In a statement by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Customs Isah Sulaiman, the interception took place around 2:19 a.m. on Sunday, November 16, 2025, when operatives halted a blue Mazda vehicle with registration number MUS 743 HA at Gbaji.
A search of the vehicle revealed the animals, which were being transported in violation of both national and international wildlife protection laws.
Two men — Mathew Kofi, a Beninese national, and Nasiru Usman Gwandu, a Nigerian — claimed ownership of the animals. They confessed to purchasing them in Kano with plans to smuggle them into Benin Republic.
The Command immediately confiscated the wildlife in compliance with Nigeria’s obligations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The suspects were detained for further investigation to determine the extent of their involvement in wildlife trafficking.
For proper care, the lion cub and monkeys were handed over the same day to the Greenfingers Wildlife Initiative. The handover was carried out by Deputy Comptroller A.Y. Mohammed on behalf of the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Wale Adenuga.
Comptroller Adenuga reiterated the Command’s commitment to protecting endangered species, safeguarding the environment, and ensuring strict border security.
“We will continue to work with relevant agencies to ensure that the illegal trade in endangered species is decisively curtailed,” he said.
The successful operation highlights Nigeria Customs’ increasing role in combating wildlife trafficking and upholding international conservation standards.
