Customs intercepts live sea turtle at Nigeria-Benin border

By Efe Onodjae The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Area Command, has intercepted a live endangered sea turtle allegedly being smuggled through a footpath linking Nigeria and the Republic of Benin. The Olive Ridley Sea Turtle, scientifically known as Lepidochelys olivacea, was intercepted during a routine patrol by Customs officers at about 10.30pm on Thursday, November 12, 2026.

The command said the officers sighted a suspicious individual carrying a sack along the border route, but the suspect abandoned the bag and fled into a nearby bush upon noticing the patrol team. According to a statement by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Customs, John Tunde Ayagbalo, examination of the abandoned sack revealed the live sea turtle concealed inside.

He said the animal was immediately secured and kept in safe custody before being handed over to relevant wildlife authorities for proper care, rehabilitation and eventual release into its natural habitat. The Acting Customs Area Controller, Seme Area Command, Deputy Comptroller Norman Olisah Alumanah, described the interception as a demonstration of the vigilance and professionalism of officers in tackling wildlife trafficking.

Alumanah warned smugglers, poachers and their collaborators against using the nation’s borders as corridors for illegal wildlife trade, adding that the command had intensified patrols, surveillance and intelligence gathering across its area of responsibility. He also called on residents of border communities to provide credible intelligence to support the fight against wildlife trafficking.

The Customs boss said the command would complement enforcement operations with stakeholder education and sensitisation on endangered species, their ecological importance and the legal implications of their unauthorised trade. Wildlife trafficking remains a major environmental crime, threatening biodiversity and the survival of endangered species through illegal exploitation for meat, eggs, shells, traditional medicine and the exotic pet trade.

Nigeria is a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which regulates international trade in endangered wildlife and plant species. The convention is domesticated in Nigeria through the Endangered Species (Control of International Trade and Traffic) Act, Cap E9, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.