The Nigeria Customs Service has recorded a major breakthrough in its crackdown on the illegal primate trade by rescuing an infant gorilla and arresting a suspected wildlife trafficker in Kano.

The intelligence-led operation successfully disrupted a highly organized illegal primate trafficking network that utilizes key transit hubs in Northern Nigeria to move endangered species.

The intercepted infant gorilla, which belongs to a species protected under strict international conservation treaties, has been taken into protective custody to ensure its welfare and eventual rehabilitation at a specialized sanctuary.

Meanwhile, the arrested suspect is currently undergoing a comprehensive interrogation as Customs investigators work alongside environmental protection agencies to unmask the transnational buyers and backers driving the illicit trade in the region.