Customs Intercepts Three Live Pangolins In Lagos Anti-Smuggling Operation
The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, Ikeja, has intercepted 3 live pangolins during an anti-smuggling operation in Lagos, while suspected traffickers reportedly fled upon sighting the patrol team.
The unit’s Public Relations Officer, Hussaini Abdullahi, disclosed this in a statement, saying the animals were intercepted on Monday morning following credible intelligence.
According to Abdullahi, officers discovered the pangolins inside a sack concealed in a wire mesh cage during the operation.
He said the suspected traffickers abandoned the consignment and escaped into a nearby swamp when they noticed the Customs patrol team.
“Upon sighting the Customs patrol team, the suspected traffickers abandoned the consignment and fled into the surrounding swamp, leaving behind the animals,” Abdullahi said.
The Acting Comptroller of FOU Zone A, Oladapo Afeni, described the seizure as a significant step in the Service’s efforts to combat wildlife trafficking, smuggling and other cross-border crimes.
Afeni, who was represented by the Deputy Comptroller in charge of Enforcement, Oluwaseun Oguntuase, commended the officers for their alertness and swift response.
He said the operation demonstrated the unit’s resolve to protect Nigeria’s biodiversity and disrupt criminal networks exploiting the country’s borders and waterways.
Afeni warned smugglers and their accomplices that the unit would sustain intelligence-led operations, aggressive patrols and collaboration with other security and enforcement agencies across its area of coverage.
He also reaffirmed the commitment of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, and the Service to securing Nigeria’s borders, protecting endangered wildlife and supporting national and international efforts to curb illegal wildlife trade.
