SEME CUSTOMS INTERCEPTS LIVE ENDANGERED SEA TURTLE IN ANTI- WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING OPERATION
Seme Customs Intercepts Live Endangered Sea Turtle in Anti-Wildlife Trafficking Operation
By Babatunde Aremu
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Area Command, has intercepted a live Olive Ridley Sea Turtle at the Nigeria-Benin border in a renewed crackdown on wildlife trafficking and other forms of environmental crime.
The interception, which took place at about 10:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 12, 2026, followed a routine patrol by Customs officers along a footpath linking Nigeria with the Republic of Benin.
According to the Command, the officers sighted a suspicious individual carrying a sack. However, the suspect reportedly abandoned the sack and fled into a nearby bush upon noticing the approaching patrol team, escaping arrest.
A search of the abandoned sack led to the discovery of a live Pacific Ridley Sea Turtle, also known as the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea).
The animal was immediately secured and subsequently handed over to the relevant wildlife authorities for proper care, rehabilitation and eventual release into its natural habitat.
The Acting Customs Area Controller, Seme Area Command, Deputy Comptroller Norman Olisah Alumanah, described the interception as a demonstration of the vigilance, professionalism and operational commitment of officers in protecting Nigeria’s borders and endangered wildlife.
Alumanah stressed that the Service would not allow the nation’s borders to become corridors for wildlife trafficking, warning smugglers, poachers and their collaborators to desist from the illegal trade.
He noted that wildlife trafficking constitutes a serious transnational organised crime that threatens biodiversity, disrupts ecosystems and undermines environmental sustainability.
The Acting Controller explained that sea turtles, particularly the Olive Ridley species, face growing threats from illegal exploitation for their meat, eggs, shells, traditional medicine and the exotic pet trade.
He reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to enforcing relevant national and international conservation laws, including the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Nigeria domesticated the convention through the Endangered Species (Control of International Trade and Traffic) Act, Cap E9, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, which regulates and criminalises unauthorised activities involving endangered species.
The Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, also empowers the Service to enforce relevant import and export regulations and suppress smuggling and illicit trade.
Alumanah expressed appreciation to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, for providing enhanced logistics and operational equipment to strengthen the Command’s enforcement capacity.
He also appealed to residents of border communities to support Customs operations by providing credible intelligence, emphasising that the fight against wildlife trafficking requires collective responsibility and public cooperation.
The Acting Controller disclosed that the Command had intensified patrols, surveillance and intelligence gathering across its area of responsibility.
He added that enforcement activities would be complemented by stakeholder engagement and public sensitisation on wildlife conservation and the legal consequences of illegal wildlife trade.
The latest interception further highlights the Nigeria Customs Service’s expanding role beyond revenue generation, trade facilitation, anti-smuggling operations and border security to include environmental protection and the preservation of the nation’s biodiversity.
The Seme Area Command reiterated its determination to sustain the fight against wildlife trafficking and other illicit cross-border activities in the interest of national security and future generations.
