Joyce Mmereole Okoli
In a dramatic late-night enforcement sweep, operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Area Command, have intercepted a consignment of endangered wildlife including a lion cub and two patas monkeys along the Badagry–Seme Expressway.
The wildlife was discovered around 2:19 a.m. on Sunday, November 16, 2025, after officers stopped a blue Mazda vehicle (MUS 743 HA) during a routine stop-and-search at Gbaji.
According to the Command’s spokesperson, Chief Superintendent of Customs Isah Sulaiman, the animals were found concealed in violation of national and international wildlife protection laws.
Two suspects Mathew Kofi, a Beninese national, and Nasiru Usman Gwandu, a Nigerian, confessed to purchasing the animals in Kano and attempting to smuggle them into the Benin Republic.
In line with Nigeria’s obligations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the Command immediately seized the animals and placed the suspects in custody for further investigation to determine their roles in the trafficking network.
For proper handling, the rescued lion cub and monkeys were handed over the same day to the Greenfingers Wildlife Initiative by Deputy Comptroller A.Y. Mohammed, who represented the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Wale Adenuga.
Comptroller Adenuga reaffirmed the Command’s unwavering commitment to protecting Nigeria’s borders and wildlife heritage.
“We will continue to work with relevant agencies to ensure that the illegal trade in endangered species is decisively curtailed,” he said.