Seme Customs Foils Wildlife Trafficking Attempt, Seizes Lion Cub and Patas Monkeys at Gbaji
Kathy Kyari
The Seme Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has uncovered a wildlife trafficking operation involving a lion cub and two Patas monkeys, intercepted during a routine stop-and-search along the Badagry–Seme Expressway in the early hours of Sunday, 16 November 2025.
According to a statement issued by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, CSC Ish Suleiman, operatives halted a blue Mazda vehicle with registration number MUS 743 HA at about 0219hrs at Gbaji, where a thorough inspection revealed “One (1) Lion Cub and Two (2) Patas Monkeys being transported in the vehicle in clear violation of national and international wildlife protection laws.”
Two men—Mr. Mathew Kofi, a Beninese national, and Mr. Nasiru Usman Gwandu, a Nigerian claimed ownership of the animals and admitted to buying them in Kano with plans to move them to the Benin Republic.
Customs officers immediately confiscated the endangered species, citing Nigeria’s obligations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The suspects were detained for further investigation aimed at determining their level of involvement in the illegal wildlife trade.
For expert handling and proper care, the animals were formally handed over to the Greenfingers Wildlife Initiative the same day. The handover was performed by Deputy Comptroller AY Mohammed on behalf of the Customs Area Controller, Seme Command, Comptroller Wale Adenuga.
Comptroller Adenuga reaffirmed the Command’s strong stance on wildlife crime, stressing its broader implications for national security and environmental protection. He pledged the Command’s continued vigilance and collaboration with relevant agencies to suppress wildlife trafficking, noting its commitment to “protecting our nation’s biodiversity and to uphold Nigeria’s obligations under CITES.”
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