Customs Intercepts Live Sea Turtle At Nigeria-Benin Border

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Area Command, has intercepted a live Pacific Ridley Sea Turtle, also known as the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle, during a routine patrol along the Nigeria-Benin border.

The interception occurred at about 10:30pm on Thursday, November 12, 2026, along a footpath linking Nigeria and the Republic of Benin.

The Customs officers reportedly sighted a suspicious individual carrying a sack who abandoned it and fled into a nearby bush upon noticing the patrol team. Efforts to apprehend the suspect were unsuccessful.

A search of the abandoned sack led to the discovery of a live Pacific Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), which 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.

In a statement by the Command Public Relations Officer, Tunde Ayangbalu, the interception underscored its commitment to combating wildlife trafficking and protecting endangered species.

The acting customs area controller, Seme Area Command, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Norman Olisah Alumanah, described the operation as a demonstration of the vigilance, discipline and professionalism of officers.

He said the Service would not allow the nation’s borders to become corridors for wildlife trafficking.

Wildlife trafficking remains a major form of transnational organised crime, threatening biodiversity, destroying ecosystems and undermining national security and sustainable development.

Sea turtles, particularly the Olive Ridley species, face threats from illegal exploitation and trafficking for their 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), adopted in 1973 to regulate international trade in wild animals and plants and ensure that such trade does not threaten their survival.

The country domesticated the convention through the Endangered Species (Control of International Trade and Traffic) Act, Cap E9, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, which criminalises unauthorised hunting, capture, possession, trade, importation and exportation of endangered species.

The Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, also empowers the Service to enforce relevant laws governing importation and exportation, including the suppression of smuggling and illicit trade in endangered species.

Alumanah commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, and the management of the Service for providing enhanced logistics and operational assets to strengthen the Command’s enforcement capacity.

He called on members of border communities to provide credible intelligence to support the fight against wildlife trafficking, stressing that tackling the crime required collective responsibility and public cooperation.

The Acting Controller also warned smugglers, poachers and their collaborators to desist from the illicit trade, adding that the Command had intensified patrols, surveillance and intelligence gathering across its area of responsibility.

He said the Command would complement enforcement operations with stakeholder education and sensitisation on endangered species, their ecological importance and the legal consequences of their unauthorised trade.

The Seme Area Command reiterated its commitment to revenue generation, suppression of smuggling, trade facilitation and border security, while sustaining efforts to protect the environment and preserve Nigeria’s biodiversity.