By Peace Udugba -The daily torch media
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Borno/Yobe Area Command, has recorded a major breakthrough in its fight against wildlife trafficking, intercepting endangered species and smuggled goods in separate operations along key routes in Maiduguri.
According to a statement issued on April 9, 2026, by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Customs, Abdullahi Ubali, the seizures were made during an operation conducted along Kano Road in Maiduguri.
The statement revealed that operatives intercepted two hyenas, one porcupine, and 24 African crowned crane birds concealed in a Mercedes-Benz wagon with registration number ABJ 517 AR. The wildlife species are listed under Appendix I and II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, which provides the highest level of protection against illegal trade.
Ubali noted that the interception highlights the Command’s commitment to combating wildlife trafficking, stressing that protecting endangered species remains a core statutory responsibility of the Service.
“It is one of the mandates of the NCS to ensure that wildlife species are protected, and their survival is not threatened,” the statement read.
The seized animals have an estimated Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦10 million.
Reacting to the development, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Abdullahi Idris, warned that the Service would not tolerate wildlife trafficking within its jurisdiction.
“We will not tolerate wildlife trafficking in our territory. We are working tirelessly with relevant partners and sister agencies to protect Nigeria’s wildlife heritage and bring perpetrators to justice,” Idris said.
In a related operation, the Command intercepted a Volkswagen Golf vehicle along the Nguru–Gashua Road in Yobe State. The vehicle was found to be conveying 65 cartons of foreign juice branded “Djino Cocktail de Fruits,” concealed with two 50kg bags of Arabic gum and sugar.
The smuggled items were valued at ₦2.73 million, bringing the cumulative Duty Paid Value of all seizures to ₦12.73 million.
The Command urged members of the public to remain law-abiding and support enforcement efforts by providing credible information to help combat wildlife trafficking and other forms of smuggling.
