The Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), has dismantled a wildlife trafficking syndicate, leading to the interception of 22 pieces of elephant tusks weighing a total of 130.84 kilogrammes.
The interception as gathered, came through a joint operation conducted between NCS, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) and the Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC).
The Nigeria Customs Services also arrested four male suspects and confiscated the vehicle used to convey the contraband.
According to a statement issued by the Customs Zone A Command, the operation was made possible through extensive intelligence gathering, surveillance, and investigations into an organised wildlife trafficking network operating within and beyond Nigeria’s borders.
The operation was coordinated by the Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, and the SIS A Team of the Customs Intelligence Unit, with support from NESREA and the WJC.
The command noted that the seizure was effected at about 4:30 p.m. on June 13, 2026, in Ofada, Mowe, Ogun State, while the suspects were simultaneously apprehended at various locations in Lagos, adding that the seized elephant tusks have an estimated black-market value in Asia of N126.39 million.
The recovered wildlife specimens and the suspects remain in custody pending the conclusion of investigations and subsequent prosecution.
The Controller of the unit, Comptroller Gambo Aliyu, described the seizure as a clear demonstration of the unit’s commitment to enforcing national and international wildlife protection laws.
He added that the operation was in line with Nigeria’s obligations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), to which the country is a signatory.
Gambo cited Section 55(1)(i) of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, which prohibits the illegal trade in endangered species.
According to him, “this seizure underscores our ongoing efforts to combat illegal wildlife trafficking and protect biodiversity.”
He commended NESREA and the Wildlife Justice Commission for their invaluable support, noting that the success of the operation was a testament to effective inter-agency collaboration.
He urged the agencies to sustain the momentum in combating criminal networks that exploit Nigeria as a transit route for wildlife trafficking and other transnational crimes, appealing to members of the public to support the Nigeria Customs Service by reporting suspicious shipments, activities, or individuals linked to wildlife trafficking no
