A wildlife trafficker Shamsideen Abubakar previously declared wanted by the Federal High Court in Lagos has been apprehended in a joint enforcement operation by the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC).
A statement issued on Wednesday by the Head of Press of the Agency, Nwamaka Ejiofor in Abuja, said, the enforcement team identified Abubakar, as a key figure in the trafficking network had been on the run since September 2021 following a coordinated operation by the WJC and NCS that led to the arrest of his associates, Sunday Ebenyi and Salif Sandwidi. That operation also resulted in the seizure of 1,009.50 kilograms of pangolin scales in the Ikeja area of Lagos.
The team said Abubakar’s arrest after five years of his involvement in large-scale wildlife trafficking and almost two years being officially declared wanted by the Federal High Court demonstrates the commitment of Nigeria’ law enforcement and NGO partners like the Wildlife Justice Commission to conduct long-term investigations with a multi-dimensional operational approach.”
“This arrest also demonstrates the determination of the Nigerian Government and its partners to rid the country of illegal wildlife traffickers, and reinforces the country’s zero-tolerance for crimes that threaten biodiversity and undermine national and international laws
Responding to the arrest, the Director-General/ CEO of NESREA, Prof Innocent Barikor said, “NESREA is determined to ensure that Nigeria is not a safe haven for wildlife crime, as the Agency and her partners will pursue, arrest, and prosecute offenders to the full extent of the law.”