The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Area Command, has intercepted a consignment of endangered wildlife, including one lion cub and two patas monkeys, during a stop-and-search operation along the Badagry–Seme Expressway.
A statement from the the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Customs Isah Sulaiman, the operation took place at about 2:19 a.m. on Sunday, November 16, 2025, when officers stopped a blue Mazda vehicle (registration number MUS 743 HA) at Gbaji.
A search of the vehicle revealed the animals, which were being transported in violation of both national laws and international protocols protecting endangered species.
Two suspects — Mathew Kofi, a Beninese national, and Nasiru Usman Gwandu, a Nigerian admitted ownership of the animals. They confessed to having purchased them in Kano and were attempting to move them to Benin Republic.
The Command promptly confiscated the wildlife in line with Nigeria’s obligations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The suspects were detained as investigations continue into their roles in the trafficking network.
For proper care and rehabilitation, the lion cub and patas monkeys were handed over to the Greenfingers Wildlife Initiative the same day. The handover was conducted by Deputy Comptroller A.Y. Mohammed on behalf of the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Wale Adenuga.
Adenuga reiterated the Command’s unwavering commitment to wildlife protection, environmental conservation, and securing Nigeria’s borders.
“We will continue to work with relevant agencies to ensure that the illegal trade in endangered species is decisively curtailed”, he stated.
The interception highlights the increasing efforts of the Nigeria Customs Service in combating wildlife trafficking and upholding international conservation standards.