Customs documentation For nearly 20,000 kg of endangered species seized in three years, 12 convictions were made.
In the previous three years, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Special Wildlife Office has discovered almost 20,000 kg of illicit wildlife items and live specimens that were going to be smuggled out of the nation by criminals. This information was revealed on Tuesday.
Speaking at the second meeting of the cooperation between the Wildlife Justice Commission and the NCS Special Wildlife Office, Officer in Charge Abimbola Isafiade said that her office has so far succeeded in securing 12 convictions on instances involving illegal wildlife and that number is continually growing.
As far as the agency was concerned, there had been no prosecutions related to the arrest of illegal wildlife, according to Abim, as she is affectionately known. Nonetheless, Nigeria has assumed a leading role in the battle against wildlife crime and the trafficking of endangered species since the establishment of the office.
“We have found approximately 20,000 kg of illegal wildlife products with live endangered species, in terms of kilograms,” the speaker stated. “It’s not only about the arrests; we’re going to prosecute these cases and have 12 convictions within three years, with many more cases pending in court.” The greatest move in the right direction, going from zero to twelve, is impressive. We were no prosecutions for wildlife trafficking from Nigeria prior to 2021, however as of right moment, we have 12, which is commendable!
This is a significant change because NCS is committed to helping its officers grow in their roles. The substantial expenditure is producing these obvious outcomes. Additionally, it demonstrates our dedication to the global cause. Because no agency can win this battle on its own, we are working together with other agencies. If it weren’t for all of these efforts, we most likely wouldn’t be discussing accomplishments today. Therefore, NCS, especially the administration and prosecutors, should be applauded for this enormous success.
She added that in addition to the 12 convictions that have been reported, there are several court cases that are still pending and are awaiting a verdict.
“As of right now, we have a number of pending court cases in addition to the 12 convictions. With the Nigeria Customs Service Act and the inclusion of financial crime investigation in NCS Illegal Wildlife cases, I’m sure we will secure convictions with harsher punishments, she added.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Attache, Brian Geourgous, also spoke about the partnership with NCS and reaffirmed that the US government supports and pledges its commitment to Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) through training, equipment provision, and other areas of needs to fight wildlife crime.
“Well, the United States government would concentrate on helping Nigeria Customs Service in any manner possible in some of these border areas that might be porous and might be experiencing an influx of products related to wildlife that aren’t disclosed.
“In my opinion, the Nigeria Customs Service is performing admirably. We believe we can help NCS perform a little bit better, which is why we are here to support and conduct some training. One of the reasons I’m here is to support the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s significant accomplishments in foreign investigations during the past few years. And we can help Nigeria Customs Service in that area,” he said.
He did, however, commend the service for their efforts in stopping the smuggling of animals and advocated for better tactics.
We are going to begin putting some of the techniques that you and I have discussed into practice right now. We will now begin to accomplish more instead of just talking as much as we have been doing.
We must adjust to the criminal elements, just like any other agency in the globe, whether it is in Nigeria or the US. We must adapt to them as they do. Therefore, part of the reason I’m here to help is that, as government agents, we need to learn and adapt to overcome,” he said.
