Customs WMC Prevents Illegal Wildlife Export, Recovers Three Black Crowned Cranes
Author: Lucy Nyambi.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Western Marine Command (WMC), has intercepted and recovered three endangered Black Crowned Cranes during a late-night patrol along the Badagry waterways, thwarting an attempt to smuggle the protected species out of the country.
According to the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Patrick Ntadi, speaking on Tuesday, 2 December 2025, at the Command’s headquarters in Ibafon, Apapa, the operation occurred on Monday, 1 December 2025, when officers on routine surveillance at the Badagry outpost spotted a suspicious fibre boat ferrying passengers toward the Republic of Benin.
“Upon intercepting and boarding the vessel for examination, the patrol team discovered three live Black Crowned Cranes concealed in makeshift cages,” he stated.
He explained that preliminary findings confirmed the birds transported for onward movement into the Republic of Benin are classified as endangered under the Endangered Species (Control of International Trade and Traffic) Act, 2016, which prohibits their export without proper authorisation.
The CAC further reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to curbing wildlife trafficking, protecting endangered species, and enforcing Nigeria’s environmental laws across the nation’s maritime domain.
The three live Black Crowned Cranes were later handed over to the Green Fingers Wildlife Conservation Initiative for proper rehabilitation.
