Operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Area Command, have intercepted a one-month-old lion cub and two patas monkeys being illegally transported along the Badagry–Seme Expressway. The wildlife seizure, made at about 2:19 a.m. on Sunday, November 16, 2025, occurred during a routine stop-and-search operation at Gbaji.
According to the Command, officers stopped a blue Mazda vehicle with registration number MUS 743 HA, which was found conveying the endangered animals in violation of Nigeria’s wildlife protection laws and international conventions. Two suspects—Mr. Mathew Kofi, a Beninese national, and Mr. Nasiru Usman Gwandu, a Nigerian—claimed ownership of the animals and confessed to purchasing them in Kano for transportation to the Benin Republic.
The Command disclosed that the interception aligns 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. The animals were immediately confiscated for documentation, while the two suspects were detained for further investigation into their involvement in wildlife trafficking.
For proper care and expert handling, the lion cub and patas monkeys were handed over later that same day to the Greenfingers Wildlife Initiative. The handover was conducted by Deputy Comptroller A.Y. Mohammed, representing the Customs Area Controller of the Seme Command, Comptroller Wale Adenuga.
Comptroller Adenuga reaffirmed the Command’s firm commitment to enforcing laws on wildlife protection, environmental conservation, and border security. He assured that the NCS will continue collaborating with relevant agencies to curb the illegal trade in endangered species.
The Command urged the public to support ongoing efforts to protect Nigeria’s biodiversity and report suspicious activities linked to wildlife trafficking.
