In an aggressive, well-coordinated strike against transnational wildlife crime, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, Ikeja, has intercepted 22 massive pieces of raw elephant tusks with an estimated black market value of N126.3 million.
The high-profile enforcement sweep was carried out over the weekend across strategic logistics hubs including Ofada and Mowe in Ogun State, alongside simultaneous operations in parts of Lagos State.
Four male suspects belonging to a highly organized wildlife trafficking cartel were arrested during the sting, and their operational transport vehicle was confiscated.
Announcing the major breakthrough on Monday, June 15, 2026, the Public Relations Officer of the FOU Zone A, Chief Superintendent of Customs Hussaini Abdullahi, stated that the operation was executed following months of intelligence gathering, surveillance, and tracking by the Special Intelligence Squad (SIS A) and the Customs Intelligence Unit.
The operation was successfully mounted in close collaboration with the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) and the international Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC).
“The agencies recorded a breakthrough in the ongoing efforts to combat wildlife crime and protect endangered species with the interception of 22 pieces of elephant tusks weighing 130.84kg, four male suspects, and a vehicle," CSC Hussaini Abdullahi confirmed officially.
"The seized elephant tusks in Asia have a black market value equivalent to N126.3m.”
The Customs Area Controller in charge of FOU Zone A, Comptroller Gambo Aliyu, lauded the tactical collaboration with NESREA and the WJC, stating that the seizure clearly validates the service’s alignment with global environmental frameworks.
He emphasized that under Section 55 (1) paragraph 1 (i) of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, the illegal exploitation and commercial trade of endangered species remains strictly prohibited.
Aliyu noted that both the confiscated specimen and the four suspects are currently in secure federal custody pending thorough interrogation, vowing that the NCS will continue to enforce the provisions of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to deny international syndicates from transforming Nigeria into a smooth transit pipeline for illegal ivory.
#NigeriaCustoms #FOUZoneA #GamboAliyu #WildlifeTrafficking #ElephantTusks #NESREA #WildlifeJustice #OfadaMoweBust
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