Some of the recovered items .
By Anietie Akpan
In a significant breakthrough against the illegal wildlife trade, the Cross River State Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has arrested a wildlife trafficker on the Cameroon border in possession of incredible wildlife items.
A press release dated March 24, from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) said the items recovered from the trafficker include
“213 parrot skulls and 29 packs of parrot feathers; six eagle skulls & one pack of eagle feathers 128 African hornbill skulls, two gorilla skulls, four gorilla hands and feet”.
These shocking discoveries highlight the ongoing crisis of wildlife trafficking and its devastating impact on the region’s biodiversity.
It also underscores the importance of routine control work done by the Nigeria Customs Service at the country’s international borders and general surveillance work.
According to the release, the suspect, who stated that he is a Nigerian from Oyo State, was arrested at the Mfum/Ekok border in Cross River State while traveling from Cameroon to Nigeria on Wednesday, March 12, 2025.
He was detained pending further investigation and prosecution.
The Country Director of the WCS Andrew Dunn said, “since 2020, the Wildlife WCS has trained more than 100 Customs staff across Nigeria to raise awareness of the threat due to the illegal wildlife trade”.
Working with Customs and the Elephant Protection Initiative, he said, WCS has also provided 10 secure storage facilities across the country for the storage of seized wildlife items, ensuring proper handling of confiscated materials.
Dunn remarked, “this arrest highlights the importance of our ongoing partnership with the Nigeria Customs Service and the value of the capacity building and awareness raising work done by WCS to help tackle the illegal wildlife trade in the country.
“We commend the Cross River Command of the Nigeria Customs Service for this bold action and urge the public to stand firm against the illegal wildlife trade. Every seized item represents a tragic loss for nature, but with collective efforts, we can protect our incredible wildlife from extinction.”
