The Ogun I Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted three live pangolins allegedly abandoned by suspected wildlife traffickers at Abeokuta waterside in Ogun State.
The seizure was made by a patrol team acting on credible intelligence, according to a statement issued on Thursday by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Customs Chado Zakari.
The suspects reportedly fled after sighting the Customs operatives, abandoning the endangered animals concealed in sacks.
The pangolins were discovered confined in wire-mesh cages and tightly concealed inside a sack, a method the command said suggested an organised attempt to smuggle the animals.
The Acting Customs Area Controller, Ogun I Command, Deputy Comptroller Abdulhamid Ibrahim, said the interception demonstrated the command’s commitment to enforcing laws against the illegal trafficking of endangered wildlife.
Ibrahim said the pangolins were protected under Nigerian law and that trafficking in the animals and their derivatives attracted severe penalties.
He said the Customs Service had handed over the rescued pangolins to Green Fingers Wildlife Conservation for rehabilitation and eventual release into a protected habitat.
Receiving the animals, the organisation’s Admin Manager and Supervisor, Isaac Itue Ime, commended the Customs command for its vigilance and swift response.
Ime assured that Green Fingers Wildlife Conservation would provide the necessary care for the surviving pangolins.
Ibrahim warned wildlife traffickers to desist from the illegal trade, saying the command remained prepared to track down and apprehend persons involved in the smuggling of endangered species.
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