The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ogun I Area Command, has intercepted three live pangolins allegedly abandoned by suspected wildlife traffickers in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The animals were recovered by a Customs patrol team acting on credible intelligence regarding suspected illegal wildlife trafficking, according to the command’s Public Relations Officer, DSC Chado Zakari.
Zakari, who disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday in Abeokuta, said the suspects fled upon sighting the Customs operatives, abandoning the endangered animals at the Abeokuta waterside.
He explained that the pangolins had been confined in wire-mesh cages and concealed inside sacks, an arrangement which, he said, indicated an organised attempt to traffic the protected species.
The Acting Customs Area Controller, Ogun I Command, DC Abdulhamid Ibrahim, described the interception as another demonstration of the command’s commitment to combating the illegal trafficking of endangered wildlife.
Ibrahim said pangolins are protected under Nigerian law, warning that the trafficking of the animals and their derivatives attracts severe legal penalties.
He disclosed that the rescued pangolins had been handed over to Green Fingers Wildlife Conservation for rehabilitation and eventual release into a protected habitat.
Receiving the animals, the organisation’s Admin Manager and Supervisor, Mr Isaac Itue Ime, commended the Customs command for its vigilance and prompt intervention.
Ime assured that Green Fingers Wildlife Conservation would provide the necessary care for the surviving pangolins and work towards their rehabilitation and safe return to a suitable natural habitat.
Ibrahim further warned individuals involved in wildlife trafficking to desist from the illegal trade, stressing that the Customs Service would continue to deploy intelligence and enforcement operations to track down and apprehend those involved in the smuggling of endangered species.