The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Area Command, has intercepted a live Olive Ridley Sea Turtle, also known as the Pacific Ridley Sea Turtle, in an operation aimed at curbing wildlife trafficking along the Nigeria-Benin border.
The endangered marine animal was intercepted at about 10:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 12, 2026, during a routine patrol by Customs officers along a footpath linking Nigeria and the Republic of Benin.
According to a statement issued on Friday by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Customs John Tunde Ayagbalo, the officers sighted a suspicious individual carrying a sack.
The suspect reportedly abandoned the sack and fled into a nearby bush upon sighting the patrol team, escaping arrest despite efforts by the officers to apprehend him.
A search of the abandoned sack led to the discovery of a live Olive Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), which was immediately secured and subsequently handed over to the relevant wildlife authorities for proper care, rehabilitation and eventual release into its natural habitat.
The Acting Customs Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller Norman Olisah Alumanah, described the interception as a demonstration of the vigilance, discipline and professionalism of officers, reaffirming the Service’s determination to prevent Nigeria’s borders from being used as transit routes for illegal wildlife trade.
He noted that wildlife trafficking remains a serious environmental crime with far-reaching implications for biodiversity, ecosystem preservation, national security and sustainable development.
Sea turtles, particularly the Olive Ridley species, face increasing threats from illegal exploitation for their meat, eggs, shells, traditional medicine and the exotic pet trade.
Alumanah stressed that Nigeria’s commitment to international conservation obligations, particularly the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), requires strict enforcement against the unauthorised capture, possession and trade of protected wildlife.
He also referenced the Endangered Species (Control of International Trade and Traffic) Act and the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, as legal frameworks supporting the Service’s enforcement responsibilities against illegal wildlife trafficking.
The Acting Controller expressed appreciation to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi and the Management of the Service for providing enhanced logistics and operational assets to strengthen the Command’s enforcement capacity.
He called on residents of border communities to support the Service with credible intelligence, emphasising that the fight against wildlife trafficking requires collective responsibility and cooperation from all well-meaning Nigerians.
While warning smugglers, poachers and their collaborators to desist from the illegal trade, Alumanah disclosed that the Command had intensified patrols, surveillance and intelligence gathering across its area of responsibility.
He added that the Command would complement its enforcement operations with stakeholder engagement, public education and sensitisation on the ecological importance of endangered species and the legal consequences of their unauthorised trade.
The Seme Area Command reiterated its commitment to its statutory responsibilities of revenue generation, suppression of smuggling, trade facilitation and border security, while sustaining efforts to protect Nigeria’s biodiversity and preserve endangered wildlife for future generations.
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