Customs CGC Adeniyi Inspects Kano Training College, Warns Wildlife Traffickers
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, has inspected the Customs Training College, Goron Dutse, Kano, as part of preparations for the 2026 Customs Basic Training Programme, while also warning criminal networks involved in wildlife trafficking that the Nigeria Customs Service will intensify efforts to disrupt their activities.
Adeniyi conducted the inspection on Saturday, August 29, 2026, to assess the readiness of the institution ahead of the arrival of recruits for the 2025/2026 Recruitment Training.
The inspection covered the college’s facilities, ongoing projects, logistics and general preparedness to accommodate and train the incoming recruits.
The CGC was received by the Zonal Coordinator, Zone B, Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs Nsikan Umoh; Comptroller, Federal Operations Unit Zone B, Aminu Sule; Commandant of the Customs Training College, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Umar Atiku; and other principal officers and heads of units.
During the inspection, Adeniyi reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to providing the facilities, logistics and conducive environment required for effective training and capacity development of newly recruited personnel.
He stressed that the college must be adequately equipped to deliver professional basic training capable of preparing recruits for their operational and administrative responsibilities in the Service.
The Commandant subsequently briefed the CGC on the college’s activities, ongoing developments and measures being implemented ahead of the recruits’ arrival, after which Adeniyi toured various facilities to assess their state of readiness.
A day later, on Sunday, August 30, the CGC visited the Kano/Jigawa Area Command, where he commended Customs officers for the interception of 48 endangered animals and birds along the Daura-Kano axis on August 25.
The interception, according to the Service, demonstrated the role of Customs in enforcing international and national measures aimed at preventing the illegal trade in protected wildlife.
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Adeniyi warned individuals and criminal networks involved in wildlife trafficking that the NCS would continue to deploy intelligence, inter-agency collaboration and international mechanisms to disrupt the illegal trade.
He said wildlife trafficking was driven by international criminal networks that exploited borders to move endangered species to destinations where they were traded in the global illegal market.
“These conventions were established to ensure collective action in protecting endangered species, and the NCS is living up to this responsibility,” he said.
The CGC disclosed that the Service had specialised and well-trained officers working with personnel across commands where wildlife trafficking had been identified as a prevalent challenge.
He said the NCS would further strengthen its response through enhanced training, collaboration with conservation organisations and partnerships with international agencies.
Adeniyi, however, emphasised that the fight against wildlife trafficking extended beyond the arrest of suspects, stressing the need to provide rescued animals with specialised care, rehabilitation and scientific assessment.
“Beyond the arrest of suspects, we must ensure that the rescued animals remain alive and receive the necessary care. These animals cannot thrive in an office environment. They need natural surroundings where they can climb trees and exhibit their natural behaviour,” he said.
He also commended Focus Conservation and other conservation experts working with the Service for providing specialised care to the rescued animals.
According to him, some of the rescued species may undergo DNA testing to establish their geographical origin and provide scientific information to guide rehabilitation and possible reintroduction into suitable natural habitats.
The Illegal Wildlife Trade Rescue and Rehabilitation Adviser at Focus Conservation, Lindsay Mace, described the rescued gorillas and chimpanzees as critically endangered species whose survival was increasingly threatened by international trafficking networks.
Mace said the chimpanzees were likely Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzees, while the gorillas were suspected to be Cross River gorillas, one of the world’s most endangered gorilla subspecies.
The combined activities highlight the NCS’s broader focus on strengthening institutional capacity while enhancing its enforcement and conservation responsibilities, particularly in tackling cross-border criminal activities such as wildlife trafficking.
By PRNigeria
