Security & Safety
Customs Intercepts Suspected Wildlife Trafficker With 346 Rare Bird Heads in Cross River
The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) has apprehended a suspected wildlife trafficker, Bello Abubakar, with 346 rare bird heads and other animal specimens in Cross River State.
Gabriel Ogbonna, the Area Controller of the Cross River/Calabar Free Trade Zone and Akwa Ibom Area Command, disclosed this on Monday while parading the suspect in Calabar.
According to Ogbonna, Abubakar was arrested on March 12 at the Mfun/Ekok Joint Border Station while attempting to enter Nigeria from Cameroon. The intercepted items, which included parrot heads, African hornbill heads, and eagle feathers, violate international laws and the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, which prohibits unpermitted trade in endangered species.
“On March 12, our personnel on routine baggage inspection at the Mfun/Ekok Joint Border Station intercepted a traveler entering Nigeria from Cameroon,” Ogbonna stated.
“The individual was found in possession of 213 parrot heads, 29 packs of parrot feathers, 128 heads of African hornbill, and five eagle heads. Also in his possession were one pack of eagle feathers, two heads, four hands, and four legs of a chimpanzee,” he added.
The customs official emphasized that Abubakar’s actions contravened the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), to which Nigeria is a signatory.
He warned that illegal wildlife trade not only threatens Nigeria’s biodiversity but also contributes to crime, economic instability, and public insecurity.
Ogbonna commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, for providing leadership and institutional support in the fight against smuggling and wildlife trafficking.
Speaking to journalists, the suspect claimed that he purchased the bird heads and animal specimens in an open market in Cameroon, intending to sell them in Nigeria.
The Nigerian Customs Service has reaffirmed its commitment to enforcing customs laws and curbing illegal wildlife trade to protect the nation’s rich biodiversity.