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 United Kingdom has reaffirmed its development partnership with Kano and Jigawa States, as part of its long-term commitment to development and reform in northern Nigeria.
The Head of Development Cooperation at the British High Commission Abuja, Ms Cynthia Rowe, recently completed high-level engagements with governors of both states as well as senior government officials and civil society leaders.
The discussions underscored the UK’s modern approach to development as a genuine partnership with Nigeria, which prioritises state-led ownership and sustainable development that delivers lasting impact through strengthening systems and partnerships grounded in investment, trade, climate financing, technical expertise and joint accountability.
According to a statement, the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, via the British High Commission, said Nigeria remains one of the UK’s most significant development partners, adding that the engagements underlined the strength and ambition of the bilateral relationship reaffirmed during the recent UK-Nigeria State Visit.
In Kano, Ms Rowe met with Deputy Governor Alhaji Murtala Sule Garo and senior officials, including the newly confirmed Head of Civil Service and Secretary to the State Government. The visit recognised Kano’s progress on climate finance, health system reform and private sector investment supported through UK technical assistance.
In Jigawa, she met with Governor Umar Namadi and heads of key ministries, departments and agencies. The meeting celebrated more than 25 years of UK-Jigawa partnership, one of the most longstanding bilateral development relationships at the subnational level in Nigeria. Discussions covered the state’s continued progress on health systems reform, agriculture, and governance and the path forward under UK technical assistance.
Since 2022, PLANE has supported Kano, Kaduna and Jigawa to strengthen state-led education delivery systems, working through Ministries of Education, SUBEB and key agencies. Its RANA+ foundational learning packages have reached 1.4 million pupils across the three states, alongside wider system strengthening.
Speaking on this, Ms Rowe said, “For more than 25 years, we have worked side by side with state governments, including Jigawa and Kano states, their communities, and civil society to build stronger health systems, improve learning outcomes for millions of children, support farmers to grow their businesses, and help states attract the investment they need to thrive.
These visits have reinforced our confidence in what this partnership can achieve. We are working together to deliver lasting change, and deepening a relationship built on genuine mutual respect and shared ambition for Nigeria’s growth and development.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on data sharing to enhance economic productivity.
This was done at a meeting at CBN Head Office in Abuja, where the weather body led by its Director General, Mr Charles Anosike, on Wednesday, highlighted the importance of integrating weather and climate data into economic research, especially in sectors such as agriculture, energy, and transportation.
He noted that extreme weather events can reduce agricultural productivity and threaten food security.
He added that the collaboration aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, which prioritises food security through major agricultural investment, including the cultivation of 10 million hectares of land and the distribution of mechanised equipment.
Mr Anosike cited a 2026 World Bank report that showed that extreme weather driven by climate change is significantly affecting global food security, with more than 87 million people facing hunger in East and Southern Africa and 52 million in West and Central Africa.
He also referenced the latest Berkeley Earth Report, which projects that 2026 is likely to be the fourth warmest year on record, a trend that continues to shape agricultural and energy market projections.
In his remarks, Mr Muhammad Sani Abdullahi, Deputy Governor, Economic Policy Directorate of the CBN, said the signing of the MoU marked an important step in strengthening the partnership between two key national institutions whose mandates intersect in data, research, and policy support.
He emphasised that, in an increasingly complex and dynamic economic environment, timely and reliable data remain essential for effective policy decisions.
According to him, the Economic Policy Directorate relies heavily on timely and credible statistical information from NiMet, saying that such data are critical for inflation monitoring, agricultural sector assessment, and broader economic policy advisory functions.
He described the initiative as both timely and important, adding that strong institutional partnerships are essential for strengthening evidence-based policymaking and improving the robustness of national data systems.
At the close of the event, Mr Anosike and Mr Sani Abdullahi signed the MoU on behalf of their respective institutions.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Tunji Disu, has ordered an immediate nationwide ban prohibiting Point-of-Sale (POS) operators from running their businesses within a 200-metre radius of any police station, divisional headquarters, or police formation across Nigeria.
This directive, released via an internal police wireless message, addresses critical systemic challenges regarding extortion and corrupt financial practices within law enforcement facilities.
The order is to be strictly enforced nationwide, with senior officers overseeing various formations to be held accountable for any breach of the directive.
The Nigeria Police Force stated that the measure is intended to strengthen transparency, accountability, and public confidence in the policing system.
The decision comes after an alarming proliferation of POS businesses near police facilities, with investigations and public complaints revealing that some operators were actively complicit in facilitating extortion, bribery, and illegal cash transfers forced upon civilians or suspects during police encounters.
Under the directive, Assistant Inspectors-General of Police (AIGs), State Commissioners of Police (CPs), and heads of formations will be held vicariously liable for any breach within their jurisdictions.
The IGP’s order states: “Any officer or POS merchant found flouting the 200-metre operational boundary or colluding in illicit transactions will face immediate disciplinary and criminal actions under extant laws.
“If you are a POS agent or looking into regulatory compliance for financial services in Nigeria, let me know. I can provide details on current Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) radius registration guidelines or share methods to report officer misconduct directly to the Force Headquarters.”
-
Feature/OPED6 years agoDavos was Different this year
-
Travel/Tourism10 years ago
Lagos Seals Western Lodge Hotel In Ikorodu
-
Showbiz3 years agoEstranged Lover Releases Videos of Empress Njamah Bathing
-
Banking8 years agoSort Codes of GTBank Branches in Nigeria
-
Economy3 years agoSubsidy Removal: CNG at N130 Per Litre Cheaper Than Petrol—IPMAN
-
Banking3 years agoSort Codes of UBA Branches in Nigeria
-
Banking3 years agoFirst Bank Announces Planned Downtime
-
Sports3 years agoHighest Paid Nigerian Footballer – How Much Do Nigerian Footballers Earn