The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has foiled an international wildlife trafficking operation at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, rescuing two live lion cubs and arresting three suspects allegedly linked to the illicit trade.
The intelligence-led operation, conducted on August 4, 2026, was carried out by the Special Wildlife Office (SWO) of the Customs Intelligence Unit (CIU), in collaboration with the FCT CIU, Customs Police Unit (CPU), FCT Command and conservation partner, Focused Conservation.
According to a statement issued on August 10 by the Officer-in-Charge of the Special Wildlife Office, Assistant Comptroller of Customs Anuhu Mani, the suspects were allegedly transporting the cubs from Kano through Abuja to Congo-Brazzaville.
Acting on credible intelligence, Customs operatives mounted surveillance at the airport’s Cargo Terminal and identified a black SUV suspected to be involved in the movement.
The operation yielded a breakthrough when a CIU officer conducting a physical inspection of the vehicle heard animal cries from the rear compartment. Upon opening the luggage area, the officers discovered two lion cubs concealed inside crates.
Three suspects — the alleged owner of the animals, the vehicle driver and a Customs clearing agent — were arrested and taken into custody. They are being interrogated as investigators work to uncover other members of the trafficking network and establish the full scope of the operation.
Mani said the interception demonstrated the Service’s determination to prevent Nigeria from becoming a transit route or safe haven for international wildlife trafficking syndicates. “This operation sends an unmistakable message that Nigeria will not serve as a transit hub or safe haven for wildlife trafficking syndicates,” he said.
He added that the rescue was particularly significant given the declining population of lions in Nigeria’s wild. “With fewer lions remaining in Nigeria’s wild, saving these cubs is not just an enforcement success, it is a critical conservation victory,” Mani said, stressing that the specialised unit would continue to use intelligence, route profiling and enforcement measures to dismantle illegal wildlife trade networks.
The Customs officer said the attempted shipment violated key national and international wildlife protection frameworks, including the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and Nigeria’s Endangered Species Act.
Following their rescue, the lion cubs were transferred to the Greenfingers Wildlife Conservation Initiative for specialised veterinary care and rehabilitation.
The operation further highlights the expanding role of the NCS under Comptroller-General of Customs Adewale Adeniyi in combating organised environmental crime and protecting endangered wildlife along Nigeria’s strategic transport corridors.
