Customs Intercepts Smuggled Pangolins in Ogun, Hands Endangered Animals to Conservation Centre
Operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit Zone A, Ikeja has intercepted four live pangolins on Thursday, January 15, 2026, at Alapa Creek in Ajilete community, Ogun State, following a targeted anti-smuggling patrol aimed at curbing illegal wildlife trafficking.
The interception occurred at about 18:33 hours when a Customs patrol team, acting on intelligence reports, stopped a wooden boat moving through the waterways of the creek.
The boat was found to be carrying the endangered mammals confined in wire mesh cages.
Officials said the operation was part of ongoing efforts to dismantle criminal networks involved in the illicit trade of protected species.
Confirming the development in a statement issued on Monday, the Public Relations Officer of the command, Chief Superintendent of Customs Hussaini Abdullahi, described the seizure as a major step in Nigeria’s environmental protection drive.
“At approximately 18:33 hours on Thursday, January 15, 2026, a patrol team acting on credible intelligence stopped a wooden boat laden with the pangolins in wire mesh cages along the waterways of Alapa Creek, Ajilete.
The caged animals indicated a deliberate smuggling syndicate. Upon spotting the officers, the suspects fled into the creeks, abandoning both the pangolins and the boat,” Abdullahi said.
He explained that the animals were later transferred to appropriate authorities to ensure their safety and wellbeing.
According to him, the Wildlife Conservation Centre received custody of the pangolins shortly after the seizure.
Abdullahi added that the handover process was carried out by the Deputy Comptroller in charge of Enforcement at the unit, Oluwaseun Oguntuase, who represented the Customs Area Comptroller of FOU Zone A, Gambo Aliyu.
Aliyu praised the officers involved in the operation for their alertness and commitment, noting that their actions reflected the agency’s determination to protect Nigeria’s natural heritage.
He encouraged personnel across the unit to sustain efforts against smugglers and other forms of cross-border criminal activity.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, also commended the team for upholding international standards on wildlife protection. He stressed that the seizure demonstrated the agency’s firm resolve to enforce regulations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
He emphasised that the interception highlights his administration’s zero-tolerance stance against saboteurs undermining Nigeria’s CITES compliance and economic stability.
CITES, an international agreement adopted in 1973, regulates global trade in wild animals and plants to prevent the exploitation of vulnerable species.
Member countries, including Nigeria, are required to enforce strict permitting systems and penalties to ensure that endangered wildlife is not illegally harvested or transported.
Customs authorities noted that the latest operation reinforces Nigeria’s obligations under the convention and sends a strong warning to traffickers seeking to profit from the illegal wildlife trade.
