Nigeria Special Wildlife Office

March 8, 2026 – Cross River State, Nigeria In a significant victory against illegal wildlife trafficking, the Nigeria Customs Service Special Wildlife Office (NSWO), in collaboration with the Okwangwo Division of Cross River National Park, successfully executed Operation Fiesta, resulting in the rescue of 43 live wild animals and the arrest of two suspects. Acting […]

On February 20, 2026, in Kano, Nigeria, a quiet piece of intelligence set in motion a high-risk operation that would once again demonstrate the growing strength of Nigeria’s fight against wildlife trafficking. Acting on intelligence developed by Focused Conservation, the Nigeria Customs Service Special Wildlife Office (SWO) launched a covert enforcement effort known as Operation

On February 12, 2026, officers from the Nigerian Customs Service, Ogun 1 Area Command, moved to intercept a motorcycle suspected of transporting illegal wildlife. As officers attempted to stop the vehicle, the rider abruptly abandoned the motorcycle and fled under cover of darkness into thick undergrowth. Despite an immediate search of the surrounding area, the

During the week of February 9–13, 2026, Focused Conservation continued its commitment to strengthening frontline wildlife crime enforcement by facilitating specialized intelligence training for Nigeria’s Customs Service Special Wildlife Office (SWO). The course was delivered by Andrew Kewley, a seasoned UK Intelligence Officer with 36 years of experience in criminal investigations and intelligence operations. Over

On 15 January 2026, officers from the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone A, intercepted a small boat transporting four live white-bellied pangolins along the Ajilete creeks in Ogun State, disrupting an active wildlife trafficking attempt. This operation is being called Operation Viva. Acting on intelligence during a routine patrol, Customs officers

Wildlife traffickers will exploit anything—even myths. A recent trend in West Africa has seen pangolins marketed as “electric pangolins,” allegedly inspired by claims of pangolins in the Mojave Desert emitting electrical currents from their scaled bodies. While the scientific community remains skeptical, traffickers have sought to capitalize on the phenomenon for profit, putting more pressure

Focused Conservation’s role in helping initiate, mentor, and fund specialized wildlife crime units across Africa has been well documented and the results continue to speak for themselves. These units are not only disrupting criminal networks and reducing the trafficking of protected wildlife, they are also elevating public awareness and strengthening inter-agency cooperation in ways that

LAGOS, NIGERIA — November 2025 A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, presided over by Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa, has convicted and sentenced two men, Lamin Magaji Muhammad and Ibrahim Haruna Muhammad, for conspiracy, unlawful possession, and attempted sale of a gorilla, the same great ape known as Bili, who was rescued in 2023 through a

Focused Conservation, working alongside the Nigeria Customs Service Special Wildlife Office (NSWO), recently played a key role in disrupting a major wildlife trafficking group in Abuja, Nigeria. Intelligence developed by the NSWO and Focused Conservation revealed that a group of traffickers was attempting to sell four large elephant ivory tusks. During deconfliction, it was determined

October 16, 2025 – Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria With support from Focused Conservation, officers from the Nigeria Customs Service Special Wildlife Office (NSWO) successfully executed a targeted enforcement action known as Operation Pink in Maiduguri, Borno State. The operation targeted an individual suspected of illegally selling two spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta), a species protected under