Nigeria’s Wildlife and Forest Crime: Inside the Trafficking Networks, Enforcement Gaps and Fight to Protect Biodiversity

By Aviashima Toom, Abuja

Nigeria’s battle against wildlife and forest crime is entering a critical phase as enforcement agencies intensify efforts to dismantle trafficking networks dealing in endangered animals and their products.

 Yet, despite arrests, seizures and international partnerships, questions remain about the strength of enforcement, the prosecution of offenders and the protection of the country’s forests and biodiversity.

From pangolin scales and elephant tusks to the illegal trade in endangered birds and other protected species, wildlife crime has evolved beyond isolated acts of poaching into an organised business with international connections.

Recent enforcement operations suggest that Nigerian authorities are making progress. However, the scale of seizures and the persistence of suspected trafficking activities raise an important question: Is Nigeria doing enough to dismantle the networks behind environmental crime, or is enforcement still struggling to keep pace with the criminals?

Inside Nigeria’s Wildlife Trafficking Networks

Nigeria has faced sustained concerns over its role in the illegal wildlife trade, particularly the trafficking of pangolin scales and ivory for international markets.

In March 2025, the Wildlife Justice Commission reported that a suspected high-level Chinese wildlife trafficker had been arrested in Lagos following an investigation linked to a major pangolin-scale seizure in Ogun State.

The operation followed the seizure of 7.2 tonnes of pangolin scales from a warehouse in August 2024. According to the organisation, the initial seizure involved 31 bags recovered on August 8, with a further 148 bags discovered during a follow-up search two days later.

The subsequent arrest demonstrated how investigations into wildlife crime can extend beyond the immediate seizure of prohibited products to identifying individuals suspected of coordinating trafficking activities.

The development also highlighted the importance of intelligence sharing between Nigerian authorities and international investigative organisations in identifying the people behind large consignments of illegally traded wildlife products.

However, the wider challenge remains whether such operations can consistently lead to the disruption of entire trafficking networks, including their suppliers, financiers, transporters and overseas buyers.

A seizure removes illegal products from circulation, but dismantling the business requires investigators to establish how the products were obtained, who financed their movement, how they crossed borders and who stood to profit from the transactions.

Without sustained investigations into these connections, enforcement operations risk addressing individual consignments without fully eliminating the structures that make wildlife trafficking profitable.

Fresh Arrests, but Can Enforcement Keep Pace?

Nigeria’s enforcement agencies have recorded additional operations against suspected wildlife traffickers.

In June 2026, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), the Nigeria Customs Service and the Wildlife Justice Commission conducted a joint operation that resulted in the arrest of four people in Lagos and Ogun states.

According to reports, the operation led to the recovery of 22 elephant tusks weighing approximately 130.84 kilogrammes and the seizure of a vehicle allegedly connected to the activity.

The arrests followed intelligence gathering and surveillance in locations including Ofada, Mowe and Lagos.

The operation was significant because it demonstrated the value of cooperation between environmental regulators, border enforcement authorities and specialist investigators.

In another development, in April 2026, NESREA and its partners had apprehended a suspected wildlife trafficker who had reportedly been wanted for five years.

The suspect was linked to a trafficking network following earlier operations that resulted in the arrest of associates and the seizure of more than one tonne of pangolin scales in Lagos.

These cases illustrate the importance of persistent investigations and cooperation between agencies.

They also raise questions about the capacity of enforcement institutions to monitor suspects, pursue outstanding cases and ensure that arrests translate into successful prosecutions.

How many investigations ultimately result in convictions? How long do cases remain in court? What happens to confiscated wildlife products? And how effectively are agencies tracking repeat offenders?

These are essential questions for assessing whether Nigeria’s wildlife enforcement system is achieving lasting results.

Arrests and seizures are important indicators of enforcement activity, but the number of criminal networks dismantled and the success of prosecutions are equally important measures of progress.

Forest Crime: The Other Side of the Crisis

While wildlife trafficking attracts attention because of the international demand for endangered species and their products, illegal exploitation of forest resources presents another serious environmental challenge.

Illegal logging, unauthorised timber harvesting and the movement of timber obtained in violation of applicable laws can undermine forest conservation and deprive communities and governments of legitimate economic benefits.

The consequences extend beyond the loss of trees.

Forests help regulate local climates, protect watersheds, support biodiversity and sustain communities that depend on forest resources for their livelihoods.

When forests are cleared or degraded without effective management, the consequences can include habitat destruction, soil erosion, reduced ecological resilience and increased pressure on already vulnerable ecosystems.

Forest crime can also intersect with other unlawful activities where timber is harvested, transported or sold without the required authorisation.

However, the extent of illegal logging, the principal trafficking routes, the financial value of illicit timber and the individuals or companies involved in particular cases must be established through documentary evidence, field investigations and official records.

For Nigeria, an effective response must therefore go beyond wildlife seizures to include stronger monitoring of timber production, transport permits, forest concessions and commercial supply chains.

Authorities must also ensure that legal timber businesses are not disadvantaged by operators who evade applicable environmental regulations.

The Enforcement Gap: Why Cooperation Matters

One of the persistent challenges in tackling wildlife crime is the need for different government institutions to work together.

NESREA has environmental enforcement responsibilities, while the Nigeria Customs Service plays a major role in detecting prohibited goods at ports and other points of entry and exit. The National Park Service also has responsibilities relating to the management and protection of national parks.

Other relevant institutions include the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Immigration Service, state forestry authorities and the judiciary.

Each institution has a role to play, but effective enforcement requires more than the presence of multiple agencies.

It requires timely intelligence sharing, clear responsibilities, trained personnel, adequate resources and a reliable process for moving cases from investigation to prosecution.

A study published in Wildlife Letters in September 2025 examined wildlife law enforcement challenges in Lagos and Oyo states.

The study identified limited knowledge of wildlife legislation among some enforcement personnel, inadequate training, resource constraints and weaknesses in inter-agency collaboration.

It also highlighted concerns about the ability of different agencies to coordinate investigations and prosecutions effectively.

These findings point to a practical problem: officers may encounter suspected wildlife crime without having sufficient specialised knowledge, while agencies may struggle to coordinate the evidence and expertise required to prosecute complex cases.

The study focused on Lagos and Oyo states, so its findings should not automatically be generalised to every part of Nigeria. Nevertheless, the challenges it identified provide important areas for further national investigation.

The question for policymakers is whether current training, funding and coordination arrangements are sufficient to meet the demands of increasingly complex environmental crimes.

A New Partnership, but What Happens Next?

Nigeria has taken steps to strengthen its response through cooperation with international organisations.

On September 16, 2025, NESREA and the Wildlife Justice Commission signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at strengthening the response to organised wildlife crime.

The agreement provides a framework for cooperation against transnational criminal networks involved in the trafficking of wildlife, fish and timber.

It also builds on the Wildlife Justice Commission's collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service.

According to the organisations, their joint efforts had contributed to the seizure of more than 25 tonnes of pangolin scales and multiple tonnes of ivory, alongside 42 arrests and 12 convictions.

These figures indicate that coordinated enforcement can produce significant results.

However, the effectiveness of the partnership will ultimately depend on sustained implementation, adequate funding and measurable outcomes.

Will the cooperation result in more convictions? Will investigations extend further into the financial structures behind trafficking networks? Will enforcement agencies have access to the training and resources required to sustain operations?

The answers will determine whether the agreement delivers lasting improvements or remains largely a framework for future cooperation.

The government and its partners should publish regular updates on implementation, including the number of investigations opened, cases prosecuted, convictions secured and trafficking networks disrupted.

Transparent reporting would help the public assess progress and identify areas where additional support is required.

Are the Laws Strong Enough, and Are They Being Enforced?

Nigeria's legal framework includes the Endangered Species (Control of International Trade and Traffic) Act, as amended in 2016, alongside environmental regulations and international obligations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

In 2024, Nigeria's government endorsed an analytical toolkit report containing 33 recommendations aimed at strengthening the country's wildlife criminal justice system, according to documentation submitted to CITES.

The recommendations provide a basis for examining weaknesses in the investigation, prosecution and adjudication of wildlife crime.

The central challenge is implementation.

Laws cannot deter offenders effectively if investigations are incomplete, evidence is poorly documented or prosecutions are delayed.

Similarly, successful enforcement requires authorities to distinguish between minor regulatory breaches and organised criminal operations involving large quantities of protected wildlife products.

Judges, prosecutors and investigators need the necessary technical knowledge to understand the seriousness of these offences and apply the law appropriately.

The government should therefore prioritise specialised training, improved case management, effective evidence preservation and stronger cooperation between investigators and prosecutors.

Where investigations establish the involvement of organised criminal networks, enforcement should focus on identifying the individuals responsible for financing, coordinating and profiting from the trade.

Communities Must Be Part of the Solution

The fight against wildlife and forest crime cannot be won through arrests alone.

Communities living near forests and protected areas often have direct knowledge of local environmental changes, illegal activities and pressures on natural resources.

Yet conservation efforts may struggle where residents have limited economic alternatives or feel excluded from decisions concerning the forests around them.

A sustainable response must combine enforcement with community engagement, environmental education and legitimate livelihood opportunities.

Traditional leaders, farmers, hunters, traders and community-based organisations can contribute to conservation by reporting suspected offences through appropriate official channels and participating in locally designed protection initiatives.

Authorities should also improve public awareness of wildlife protection laws and explain how illegal exploitation affects local livelihoods, biodiversity and future generations.

At the same time, enforcement must be fair, evidence-based and consistent. Communities should not be collectively blamed for crimes committed by particular individuals or organised networks.

Where local people are willing to support conservation, government agencies should create practical ways for them to participate without placing themselves at unnecessary risk.

The Questions Nigeria Must Answer

Nigeria's efforts to combat wildlife and forest crime have produced notable enforcement operations, international partnerships and documented convictions. Yet these achievements must be measured against the wider objective of preventing environmental destruction and dismantling the networks responsible.

Several questions deserve closer scrutiny.

How many wildlife trafficking cases reported over the past five years have resulted in final convictions?

How much public funding is allocated annually to wildlife and forest crime enforcement, and how much is actually released?

What mechanisms exist for monitoring the implementation of the 33 recommendations in the wildlife criminal justice analytical toolkit?

How many timber-related offences are investigated each year, and what proportion result in prosecution?

Are seized wildlife products and timber properly documented, secured and disposed of in accordance with the law?

How effectively do federal and state authorities share information on illegal logging, wildlife trafficking and cross-border movement of prohibited products?

These questions require responses supported by official documents, court records, enforcement data and interviews with the relevant institutions.

Court documents and prosecution statistics would help establish whether enforcement activity is producing lasting legal consequences. Interviews with conservation organisations, researchers, affected communities and legitimate timber operators would provide additional perspectives.

Where allegations of official complicity, regulatory failures or corruption arise, they should be tested against documentary evidence and presented to the institutions or individuals concerned for a response.

Without such verification, claims about the scale of corruption or the involvement of particular officials should not be presented as established facts.

Conclusion: Beyond Seizures to Lasting Accountability

Nigeria has demonstrated that intelligence-led operations and cooperation between enforcement agencies can disrupt wildlife trafficking and secure convictions.

The challenge now is to make these results sustainable.

Protecting endangered species requires authorities to pursue the people who organise and finance trafficking, strengthen prosecution, improve intelligence sharing and close gaps in the enforcement system.

Protecting forests requires equally determined action against illegal exploitation, stronger monitoring of timber supply chains and meaningful engagement with communities that depend on forest resources.

The stakes extend beyond wildlife conservation. Environmental crime threatens biodiversity, undermines lawful economic activity and weakens public confidence in institutions responsible for protecting the country's natural resources.

For Nigeria to make lasting progress, success must be measured not only by the volume of wildlife seized or the number of suspects arrested, but also by the criminal networks dismantled, the cases successfully prosecuted and the forests and species protected.

The ultimate test is whether enforcement can make wildlife trafficking and illegal forest exploitation increasingly difficult, unprofitable and legally consequential.

Until that happens, the struggle to protect Nigeria's wildlife and forests will remain unfinished.

Aviashima Toom, 

Environmental Journalist. 09029550629/07076693238

aviashimatoom@gmail.com