![\"pangolins\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/pen_1791869780.webp\")
One of the recovered pangolins. Photo: Customs<\/p>\nThe Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit Zone \u2018A\u2019, Ikeja, said it had intercepted three live pangolins during an anti-smuggling operation within the zone.\n<\/p>\n
The command\u2019s Public Relations Officer, Hussaini Abdullahi, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.\n<\/p>\n
Abdullahi said the interception took place on Monday morning when officers of the unit, acting on credible intelligence, intercepted a sack conveying the endangered animals concealed in a wire mesh cage.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cUpon sighting the Customs patrol team, the suspected traffickers abandoned the consignment and fled into the surrounding swamp, leaving behind the animals,\u201d Abdullahi said.<\/p>\n
The Acting Comptroller of FOU Zone \u2018A\u2019, Oladapo Afeni, described the interception as a significant milestone in the Service\u2019s sustained campaign against wildlife trafficking, smuggling and other transnational organised crimes.<\/p>\n
Afeni, represented by the Deputy Comptroller in charge of Enforcement at FOU Zone \u2018A\u2019, Oluwaseun Oguntuase, commended the operatives for their vigilance and prompt response. <\/p>\n
One of the recovered pangolins. Photo: Customs<\/p>\n
Afeni noted that the operation underscored the unit\u2019s resolve to \u201cprotect Nigeria\u2019s biodiversity and disrupt criminal networks exploiting the country\u2019s borders and waterways.\u201d<\/p>\n
Afeni warned smugglers and their collaborators that FOU Zone \u2018A\u2019 would continue to intensify patrols, intelligence-driven operations and inter-agency collaboration across its area of responsibility.\n<\/p>\n
He reaffirmed the commitment of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, and the Service to securing Nigeria\u2019s borders, protecting endangered species and supporting national and international efforts against illegal wildlife trade.\n<\/p>\n
Pangolins are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, and their illegal trade remains a serious threat to wildlife conservation.\n<\/p>\n
The Service has reiterated that persons involved in the smuggling, possession, transportation or commercialisation of endangered species risk prosecution and severe penalties under applicable Nigerian laws.\n<\/p>\n
To guarantee their safety and welfare, the three rescued pangolins have been handed over to the Greenfingers Wildlife Initiative Centre for safekeeping, rehabilitation and appropriate management.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit Zone \u2018A\u2019, Ikeja, said it had intercepted three live pangolins during…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":881629,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[7225,370234,368588,2027,368589,192,370235,370236,199971,79],"class_list":["post-881628","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-environment","tag-animal-smuggling","tag-business-club-ikeja","tag-comptroller-general-of-the-nigeria-customs-service","tag-endangered-species","tag-ending-wildlife-trafficking","tag-environment","tag-greenfingers-wildlife-initiative","tag-oladapo-afeni","tag-pangolins","tag-science"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/881628","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=881628"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/881628\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/881629"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=881628"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=881628"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=881628"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}