The Nigeria Customs Service, Seme Area Command, has intercepted a lion cub and two patas monkeys allegedly being smuggled into the Benin Republic. The animals were seized during a stop-and-search operation at Gbaji, along the Badagry–Seme Expressway, in the early hours of Sunday.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, Isah Sulaiman, disclosed this in a statement on Monday, noting that the operation reflects the service’s sustained commitment to wildlife protection and Nigeria’s obligations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
“Operatives of the Command, on Sunday, 16 November 2025, at about 02:19 hrs, intercepted a blue Mazda vehicle with registration number MUS 743 HA during a routine patrol. Upon inspection, the operatives discovered one lion cub and two patas monkeys in the vehicle, in clear violation of national and international wildlife protection laws,” the statement read.
Two suspects—identified as a Beninese national, Mr Mathew Kofi, and a Nigerian, Mr Nasiru Usman Gwandu—claimed ownership of the animals. According to the PRO, the men confessed to purchasing the wildlife in Kano and attempting to transport them to Benin Republic.
“In line with Nigeria’s CITES commitments and global standards on wildlife protection, the endangered animals were immediately confiscated and brought to the command for documentation, while the suspects were detained for further investigation to determine the extent of their involvement in wildlife trafficking,” Sulaiman said.
For proper care and expert handling, the seized animals were handed over to the Greenfingers Wildlife Initiative. The handover was conducted on behalf of the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Wale Adenuga, by the Deputy Comptroller in charge of Administration, A.Y. Mohammed.
Adenuga reaffirmed the command’s resolve to uphold environmental conservation laws, enforce border security, and collaborate with relevant agencies to combat illegal wildlife trade.
Nigeria ratified CITES in 1974, with the Convention coming into force for the country in 1975. Since then, the nation has strengthened cooperation with other countries—including China—to curb illicit wildlife trafficking and protect endangered species threatened by global demand.
