A fugitive wildlife trafficker declared wanted by the Federal High Court in Lagos has been arrested after five years on the run, in a joint operation by the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, the Nigeria Customs Service, and the Wildlife Justice Commission.
Shamsideen Abubakar, described as a key figure in an international trafficking network, was arrested following intelligence-led tracking, NESREA said Tuesday. He had evaded arrest since September 2021.
Abubakar fled after a 2021 raid in Ikeja by WJC and NCS that seized over 1,000kg of pangolin scales and led to the arrest of his associates, Sunday Ebenyi and Salif Sandwidi. The haul was one of Nigeria’s largest, exposing the scale of illegal wildlife trade linked to the country.
NESREA Director-General Prof. Innocent Barikor said the arrest shows Nigeria “will not serve as a safe haven for traffickers.” He said offenders would be pursued and prosecuted “to the fullest extent of the law.”
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Barikor credited inter-agency collaboration, intelligence sharing, and coordinated enforcement for the breakthrough. He urged the public to report suspicious activities, warning that “the era of impunity for wildlife crimes is over.”
Authorities said the arrest deals a blow to already weakened trafficking networks and proves that warrants will be enforced no matter how long suspects remain at large.
Nigeria has stepped up enforcement against wildlife trafficking in recent years, citing threats to biodiversity and violations of national and international law. Officials said the case reinforces the country’s zero-tolerance stance on the trade in endangered species.
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