Border Officials Intercept Lion Patas Primates Being Smuggled to Benin

Officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) at the Seme entry point disrupted an attempt to illegally transport protected wildlife across the border, recovering a young lion and two patas primates concealed inside a privately owned vehicle. The interception took place during a routine stop-and-search along the Badagry–Seme expressway, the command said.

According to a statement from the Seme Area Command, operatives discovered the animals inside a blue Mazda with registration number MUS 743 HA.

The vehicle was stopped in the early hours of Sunday, November 16, during an anti-smuggling operation.

Two individuals travelling in the car were detained and are now assisting investigators as enforcement agents probe the origin and intended destination of the cargo.

The customs public relations officer for the command warned that the conveyance of such species violates both national statutes protecting biodiversity and Nigeria’s obligations under international conservation treaties.

Authorities emphasised the health and welfare risks facing the animals, noting that neonates and juvenile wild animals require specialist care that smugglers rarely provide.

The intercepted creatures have been placed under the custody of relevant environmental agencies pending further veterinary assessment and legal action.

Wildlife trafficking remains a major conservation and security problem across West Africa, with Nigeria often used as a transit hub for illicit exports destined for markets beyond the region. Enforcement agencies have in recent months recorded several high-profile recoveries of protected species from large consignments of parrots at Lagos airport to smaller but equally damaging seizures of mammals prompting calls for tighter cross-border cooperation.

Conservation groups praise recent busts but say prosecution and dismantling of trafficking networks must follow for deterrence to be effective.

The Seme command vowed to sustain vigilance along coastal and land border corridors and to strengthen partnerships with environmental regulators and international bodies to curb the illegal movement of fauna. Investigators continue to trace the supply chain that led to the attempted export and will determine whether the suspects acted alone or as part of a wider ring. Meanwhile, animal welfare teams will assess veterinary needs and the feasibility of rehabilitation or reintroduction where appropriate.