General
Nigeria Customs Seizes N22bn Pangolin, Elephant Parts
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has seized 196 sacks containing 7,137 kilogrammes of pangolin scales, 4.6 kg of pangolin claws and 846.34 kg of ivory after it busted a network of people who are involved in exporting prohibited animal products in Lagos.
The raid, carried out towards the end of July, the service said, was aided by the intelligence provided by the Wildlife Justice Commission.
All the wildlife products were destined for export, according to a statement released by the customs and the Wildlife Justice Commission.
Additional suspects are being sought in respect to this seizure, some of whom are believed to have already fled Nigeria.
This is the ninth largest seizure of pangolin scales in the last three years.
According to the statement, the arrested suspects are part of a well-known transnational criminal network operating in West Africa.
They are linked to approximately 50 per cent of all major pangolin scale seizures over the past three years.
“These arrests have severely disrupted this network,” the statement said.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr Hameed Ibrahim Ali, said the seized contrabands were worth N22 billion.
Mr Ali said authorities had arrested the culprits – three foreign nationals and were pursuing a fourth, whom he described as the kingpin of the operation.
“The suspects arrested will soon have their date in court as NCS will leave no stone unturned to bring them to justice,” Mr Ali said.
“The Wildlife Justice Commission wishes to congratulate Nigeria Customs for their quick response resulting in this outstanding outcome against a well-established transnational organised crime network,” said Mr Steve Carmody, Wildlife Justice Commission Director of Programs in the statement.
“The truly horrific reality of this seizure is that even at seven tonnes, there were still eight other larger seizures in the last three years, and this network was responsible for at least half of them.
“We look forward to the arrest of the other wanted subjects and seeing proceeds of crime provisions applied to seize the ill-gotten gains of this network,” he added.
Large-scale and sustained trafficking of pangolin scales, sourced for jewellery and as a component of traditional Chinese medicine, is driving the species to the brink of extinction.
In 2020, Wildlife Justice Commission investigators were offered staggering quantities of pangolin scales, outnumbering the offers of ivory across all the organisation’s investigations for the first time.
This fact demonstrates the continued availability of pangolin scales and ongoing marketplace demand, despite COVID-19 travelling restrictions.
The Wildlife Justice Commission also identified that wildlife traders were stockpiling their products in order to resume trade as soon as restrictions were eased, a concern that has now been justified by seizures of massive amounts of pangolin scales such as this one.
The Wildlife Justice Commission had pointed out in recent reports that pangolin scales are increasingly substituted for, and trafficked alongside, ivory, a trend that the organisation already identified in 2019.
As ivory prices fall, traffickers are increasingly turning to pangolin scales; in combined shipments, the proportion of pangolin scales has surpassed the volume of ivory.
“This operation is a great example of how transnational wildlife crimes should be investigated and the tangible results that public-private partnerships can achieve by working together to disrupt organised crime,” said Mr Carmody.
“This operation is a major victory for law enforcement and for the Wildlife Justice Commission, but we must acknowledge that other actors will rise to take the place of those recently arrested.
“The Wildlife Justice Commission will use the evidence gathered through this arrest to continue our investigations into the trafficking of endangered wildlife and support the efforts of law enforcement agencies fighting wildlife crime. It takes a network to defeat a network.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has confirmed the destruction of six transmission towers along the Apir–Lafia 330kV line in Nasarawa State, causing significant disruption to electricity supply in parts of the country.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, TCN spokesperson, Mrs Ndidi Mbah, said the incident occurred on May 30 at about 1:15 a.m. during a heavy downpour.
She explained that the transmission line initially tripped, prompting operators to attempt a trial reclosure of Line II at about 2:08 a.m., but the effort failed.
A subsequent inspection of the transmission corridor, however, revealed extensive damage to key components of towers T125 to T130, confirming that the infrastructure had been vandalised.
“The tripping of the lines prompted a physical line trace to determine the fault, which revealed damage to critical components of towers T125 to T130, confirming vandalism on the affected sections of the transmission corridor,” Mbah said.
The incident has forced both Apir–Lafia 330kV Transmission Lines I and II out of service pending the reconstruction of the damaged towers.
TCN said its engineers have been deployed to the site to assess the extent of the damage and determine the materials required to restore normal transmission along the corridor.
As an interim measure, the Lafia 330kV Transmission Station is being supplied through an alternative line to minimise the impact on electricity consumers within the franchise areas of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) and Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC).
The company condemned the persistent vandalism of power infrastructure, warning that such acts undermine investments in the electricity sector and threaten the stability of the national grid.
It also urged residents and host communities to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities around transmission installations to security agencies or the nearest TCN office.
TCN stressed that safeguarding critical national infrastructure requires collective responsibility to ensure a reliable and uninterrupted electricity supply nationwide.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
A Nigeria Gender Country Programme (NGCP) to advance private sector action on gender equality and inclusive economic growth has been unveiled at a high-level virtual CEO Roundtable convened by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Group Plc, and the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI).
The NGCP builds on the momentum of Nigeria2Equal and other initiatives that have advanced workplace inclusion, women’s leadership, entrepreneurship, and sustainable finance across Nigeria’s private sector.
Designed as a more integrated and collaborative platform, the programme seeks to scale impact through coordinated action among development institutions, business leaders, regulators, and the organised private sector.
Anchored on three strategic priorities, the programme aims to increase women’s representation in leadership, improve access to quality employment, and expand access to productive assets—including finance, technology, and markets—for women and women-led businesses.
The partners are expected to formally launch the Nigeria Gender Country Program at a physical event scheduled for July 9, 2026, where stakeholders will further advance implementation of the programme’s strategic priorities.
At the virtual event, the Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mr Emomotimi Agama, said, “Gender inclusion is fundamentally an economic growth imperative. Closing gender gaps can unlock billions of dollars in value for Nigeria while strengthening business performance and national competitiveness. We must therefore move beyond viewing inclusion as a corporate social responsibility initiative or compliance exercise, and instead recognise it as a strategic driver of productivity, innovation, and sustainable economic growth.”
Commenting on the initiative, the chief executive of NGX Group, Mr Temi Popoola, said the initiative “presents a significant opportunity to deepen impact and accelerate progress across corporate Nigeria. By expanding women’s access to leadership opportunities, quality employment, finance, technology, and markets, we can unlock substantial economic value while building a more competitive, inclusive, and resilient private sector. At NGX Group, we believe the capital market has a critical role to play in advancing these outcomes through stronger governance, transparency, and stakeholder engagement.”
On his part, the IFC Head of Office in Lagos, Mr Christian Mulamula, said, “Closing the gender gap is one of the most significant opportunities to strengthen competitiveness and productivity. Across Africa, gender inequality is estimated to cost up to $2.5 trillion. Through the Nigeria Gender Country Program, IFC is working with the private sector to expand women’s leadership, improve access to better jobs, and increase opportunities for women-led businesses. Building on Nigeria2Equal, this initiative focuses on practical, measurable solutions that help businesses grow while advancing inclusive growth.”
In her remarks, the DG of LCCI, Ms Chinyere Almona, noted that the programme’s success would depend on leadership accountability and sustained commitment from business leaders, particularly in embedding gender inclusion into organisational strategy and execution.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has commenced a forensic investigation into the collision between the container vessel MV Maersk Valparaiso and the oil tanker MT Lady Martina at Bonny Anchorage in Rivers State, following the download of Voyage Data Recorder (VDR) and Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) data from the vessel for navigational analysis.
The bureau’s Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance, Mrs Funke Adebayo Arowojobe, explained that in line with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Casualty Investigation Code and international obligations, NSIB had formally notified the Transport Safety Investigation Bureau (TSIB) of Singapore as a substantially interested State.
The incident, which occurred on May 20, 2026, has been classified by the bureau as a Very Serious Marine Casualty (VSMC).
She also said that NSIB activated its marine occurrence response protocols immediately after receiving notification of the incident, noting that the investigation Go-Team was deployed to Onne and Bonny on May 22 to commence evidence preservation and preliminary investigative activities.
The bureau disclosed that investigators boarded both vessels and conducted interviews with their masters and key crew members, while operational records and navigational data linked to the incident were secured.
Also, the director stressed that the bureau had commenced collaborative engagement with relevant local and international stakeholders as part of the investigation process, assuring the public and maritime stakeholders that the investigation would be conducted with professionalism, independence and thoroughness, stressing that the objective was to determine the causal and contributory factors of the occurrence and enhance maritime safety.
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