The Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted an alleged attempt to traffic wildlife through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, rescuing two live lion cubs and arresting three suspects.
The interception was carried out on August 4, 2026, by the Special Wildlife Office of the Customs Intelligence Unit in collaboration with the FCT Customs Intelligence Unit, the Customs Police Unit, the FCT Command and the conservation group, Focused Conservation.
According to a report issued on August 10 by the Officer-in-Charge of the Special Wildlife Office, Assistant Comptroller of Customs Anuhu Mani, the suspects were allegedly transporting the lion cubs from Kano through Abuja to Congo-Brazzaville.
Mani said, “the operation followed intelligence received by the Customs Service, leading operatives to the airport’s cargo terminal where they monitored a black SUV suspected to be connected to the movement”.
He said the operation took a dramatic turn when a Customs intelligence officer inspecting the vehicle heard animal cries from the rear compartment.
The officers opened the luggage area and found two lion cubs concealed inside crates.
The suspects, identified as the alleged owner of the animals, the driver of the vehicle and a Customs clearing agent, were arrested at the scene.
They are currently being interrogated as investigators work to identify other members of the alleged trafficking network.
Mani said the Customs Service would not allow Nigeria to become a transit route or safe haven for wildlife trafficking syndicates.
“With fewer lions remaining in Nigeria’s wild, saving these cubs is not just an enforcement success, it is a critical conservation victory,” he said.
He added that the attempted movement of the animals violated national and international wildlife protection laws, including the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and Nigeria’s Endangered Species Act.
The rescued cubs have since been handed over to the Greenfingers Wildlife Conservation Initiative for veterinary care and rehabilitation.
(The Whistler)