Customs FOU ‘D’ Intercepts Five Live Pangolins in Taraba, Seizes Smuggled, Vehicle, PMS Worth N52.6m
The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone D of the Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted smuggled goods and rescued endangered wildlife with a cumulative Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N52,664,071 within the past month.
Controller of the Unit, Comptroller Abdullahi Shuaibu Kaila, disclosed this during a media briefing in Bauchi, where he outlined the Unit’s intensified anti-smuggling operations across its area of responsibility.
Among the seizures was a Benz ML 350 4MATIC 2015 model intercepted along the Abuja – Nasarawa axis on suspicion of being smuggled into the country. The Unit also seized 612 jerry cans of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), equivalent to 18,300 litres, at the Mubi axis in Adamawa State. The fuel was allegedly being prepared for illegal exportation. In addition, 33 cartons of Borisov were confiscated within the same axis for non compliance with import regulations.
Of significant importance was the rescue of five live pangolins in Jalingo, Taraba State, and the arrest of three suspects linked to an attempt to traffic the endangered species out of the country.
Comptroller Kaila described wildlife trafficking as a grave violation of Section 55(1) of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, which empowers the Service to enforce international laws and conventions. He noted that pangolins are listed under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), a global agreement aimed at protecting endangered plants and animals from extinction due to international trade.
He explained that Nigeria, as a signatory to CITES, is obligated to prohibit and prosecute illegal trade in species facing extinction. According to him, pangolins are among the most trafficked animals globally due to high demand for their scales and meat in parts of Asia, particularly in southern China and Vietnam, where the scales are used in traditional medicine and the meat consumed as a delicacy.
Beyond poaching, the Controller identified deforestation and expanding agricultural activities as additional threats to the species, warning that continued exploitation could drive the animal to extinction.
The operation, he said, was carried out during routine patrols along critical wildlife corridors in Taraba State, in line with the strategic directive of the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, to dismantle networks involved in environmental and transnational organised crime.
The rescued pangolins are currently in safe custody and will be formally handed over to the Green Fingers Wildlife Initiative for rehabilitation and proper care.
Kaila commended the collaboration between the Nigeria Customs Service Special Wildlife Office, Focus Conservation, and the Green Fingers Wildlife Initiative, noting that such partnerships are crucial in combating wildlife crime. He assured that the three suspects would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, stressing that wildlife crime is an organised threat to Nigeria’s biodiversity and global reputation.
He urged members of the public to remain patriotic and provide credible intelligence to support border security efforts. He also praised the officers and men of FOU Zone D for their bravery and professionalism, reaffirming the Unit’s resolve to remain vigilant and fully committed to suppressing smuggling and protecting the nation’s economic and environmental interests.
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