By Godwin Oritse

The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ikeja, Lagos, has intercepted three live pangolins in an anti-smuggling operation along Oyo Dam, Igbo-Ora, Ogun State.

The interception was made on Monday, at about 9.05am, following credible intelligence. Customs operatives reportedly discovered the endangered animals packed in a sack and concealed in a wire-mesh cage.

According Hussaini Abdullahi Chief Superintendent of Customs and Public Relations Officer of the Unit, the suspected traffickers, upon sighting the patrol team, allegedly abandoned the consignment and fled into a nearby swamp, leaving the animals behind.
The Acting Comptroller of FOU Zone ‘A’, Deputy Comptroller Oladapo Afeni, represented by the Deputy Comptroller in charge of Enforcement, Oluwaseun Oguntuase, described the seizure as a significant milestone in the Service’s sustained campaign against wildlife trafficking, smuggling and other forms of transnational organised crime.

He commended the operatives for their vigilance and swift response, noting that the interception demonstrated the Unit’s determination to protect Nigeria’s biodiversity and dismantle criminal networks exploiting the country’s borders and waterways.

Pangolins are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and their illegal trade remains a serious threat to wildlife conservation. The Service reiterated that persons involved in the smuggling, possession, transportation or commercialisation of endangered species risk prosecution and severe penalties under applicable Nigerian laws.
To guarantee their safety and welfare, the three rescued pangolins have been handed over to the Greenfingers Wildlife Initiative Centre for safekeeping, rehabilitation and appropriate management.
Afeni warned smugglers and their collaborators that FOU Zone ‘A’ would continue to intensify patrols, intelligence-driven operations and inter-agency collaboration across its area of responsibility.