The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Area Command, has intercepted one lion cub and two patas monkeys during a stop-and-search operation along the Badagry–Seme Expressway.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Customs Isah Sulaiman, said in a statement on Monday that the interception occurred at about 2:19 a.m. on Sunday, November 16, 2025, when NCS officers stopped a blue Mazda vehicle with registration number MUS 743 HA at Gbaji.

Upon inspection, he noted that the officers discovered the animals being transported in violation of national and international wildlife protection laws, saying that two suspects, Mathew Kofi, a Beninese national, and Nasiru Usman Gwandu, a Nigerian, claimed ownership of the animals and admitted to purchasing them in Kano with the intention of conveying them to the Benin Republic.

He said: “The command immediately confiscated the animals in line with Nigeria’s obligations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

“The suspects were detained for further investigation to determine their level of involvement in wildlife trafficking. For proper care and handling, the lion cub and monkeys were formally handed over to the Greenfingers Wildlife Initiative on the same day.”

The handover was conducted by Deputy Comptroller A.Y Mohammed on behalf of the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Wale Adenuga.

Comptroller Adenuga reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to enforcing wildlife protection laws, environmental conservation, and border security.

He explained: “We will continue to work with relevant agencies to ensure that the illegal trade in endangered species is decisively curtailed.

“The interception underscores Nigeria Customs’ growing role in combating wildlife trafficking and protecting biodiversity, while reinforcing the country’s compliance with international conservation standards.”