The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has arrested three persons who were allegedly involved in illegal wildlife activities around the Nigeria-Cameroon border last month.
In a statement, the Wildlife Conservative Society in Calabar, Cross River State, said the NCS made the arrests last month following a series of intelligence-led operations they supported.
The statement indicated that one of the suspects was apprehended in Jimeta, Yola, Adamawa State, with four sacks of ivory weighing 89kg.
The statement reads in part: “Two other suspects were also arrested later last month in Sangere, Girei LGA of Adamawa State, with five sacks of pangolin scales and claws weighing 216kg.”
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The society noted that those were the first known arrests of wildlife traffickers in the transboundary region.
It added that the three suspects were currently facing prosecution by the Nigeria Customs Service.
An official of WCS, Elisha Bello, who is the Counter Wildlife Trafficking Adviser in Calabar, said: “I am overjoyed by this news and would like to congratulate the Nigeria Customs Service on the arrests made.
“We look forward to hearing more about the outcome of the prosecution, as well as to further collaborate with the Nigeria Customs Service.”
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