By Dianabasi Effiong
The Cross River State Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has arrested a wildlife trafficker with illegal items on the Cameroon/Cameroon border.
A press statement from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) confirmed this on Tuesday.
It stated that the items recovered from the trafficker included
“213 parrot skulls and 29 packs of parrot feathers; six eagle skulls & one pack of eagle feathers 128 African hornbill skulls, two gorilla skulls, four gorilla hands and feet.”
These discoveries highlight the ongoing crises of wildlife trafficking and its devastating impact on the area’s biodiversity.
It also highlighted the importance of shrewd surveillance and control by the NCS at the country’s international borders.
According to the statement, the suspect, who said that he is a Nigerian from Oyo State, was arrested at the Mfum/Ekok border in Cross River State.
The suspect was traveling from Cameroon to Nigeria when he was arrested with the items on March 12, 2025.
The statement added that the suspect was detained pending further investigation and prosecution.
According to the statement, the Country Director of the WCS, Andrew Dunn said that the WCS had since 2020 trained more than 100 Customs staff across Nigeria to raise awareness of the threat due to the illegal wildlife trade.
He said, “Working with Customs and the Elephant Protection Initiative, WCS has also provided 10 secure storage facilities across the country for the storage of seized wildlife items, ensuring proper handling of confiscated materials.
“This arrest highlights the importance of our ongoing partnership with the Nigeria Customs Service and the value of the capacity-building and awareness-raising work done by WCS to help tackle the illegal wildlife trade in the country.
“We commend the Cross River Command of the Nigeria Customs Service for this bold action and urge the public to stand firm against the illegal wildlife trade. Every seized item represents a tragic loss for nature, but with collective efforts, we can protect our incredible wildlife from extinction.”
