Customs, NESREA Seize Elephant Tusks Worth ₦126.3m, Arrest Four Suspects
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), in collaboration with the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) and the Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC), has recorded a major breakthrough in the fight against wildlife trafficking with the seizure of 22 elephant tusks valued at more than ₦126.3 million and the arrest of four suspected traffickers.
The operation was carried out by the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’ following weeks of intelligence gathering, surveillance and investigations into an organised wildlife trafficking network operating within Nigeria and across international borders.
According to a statement issued by the Public Relations Officer of FOU Zone ‘A’, Chief Superintendent of Customs (CSC) Hussaini Abdullahi, the seizure was made at about 4:30 p.m. on June 13, 2026, at Ofada in Mowe, Ogun State, while other suspects linked to the syndicate were apprehended simultaneously in Lagos State.
The intercepted consignment consisted of 22 elephant tusks weighing a total of 130.84 kilograms, with an estimated black-market value of ₦126,390,440.
Abdullahi disclosed that the operation was executed by officers of the Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’ and the SIS ‘A’ team of the Customs Intelligence Unit, with operational support from NESREA and the Wildlife Justice Commission.
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Speaking on the development, the Comptroller of FOU Zone ‘A’, Comptroller Gambo Aliyu, described the seizure as a significant achievement in ongoing efforts to combat illegal wildlife trade and enforce environmental protection laws.
He noted that the operation demonstrated the agency’s commitment to upholding both national and international regulations governing the protection of endangered species, including provisions of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), to which Nigeria is a signatory, as well as relevant sections of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023.
“This seizure underscores our determination to curb illegal wildlife trafficking and protect biodiversity by ensuring that those involved in the illicit trade of endangered species are brought to justice,” Aliyu said.
The comptroller commended NESREA and the Wildlife Justice Commission for their collaboration, describing their contributions as critical to the success of the operation.
He called for sustained inter-agency cooperation in tackling wildlife trafficking and other environmental crimes, warning that such illegal activities pose serious threats to biodiversity conservation and Nigeria’s environmental heritage.
Aliyu also appealed to members of the public to support enforcement agencies by providing timely and credible information on suspicious shipments and activities linked to wildlife trafficking syndicates.
The latest seizure represents one of the significant wildlife crime interceptions recorded in recent months and highlights growing efforts by Nigerian authorities and their partners to dismantle transnational networks involved in the illegal trade of endangered species.
By PRNigeria
