Four live pangolins, an endangered species, were reportedly apprehended by the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Ogun 1 Area Command, Idiroko, along the state's Yemoamota-Abule-Igboora axis. This was revealed in a statement provided to reporters in Ota on Saturday by Chado Zakari, the Deputy Superintendent of NCS and spokesperson for the Command. 

The seizure demonstrated the Service's steadfast adherence to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES, Zakari explained. 

He claims that at around three in the morning on Thursday, a patrol squad responding to reliable information stopped a motorcycle in the command's Yemoamota-Abule-Igboora and Ebute Igboora axis.

“Upon inspection, officers discovered four pangolins confined in wire mesh cages and concealed within a sack.

“The sophisticated nature of the packaging suggests the involvement of an organised smuggling syndicate.

“To evade arrest, the suspects abandoned their motorcycle and the endangered species, vanishing into the thick terrain as the evening fog rolled in,” he said.

According to Zakari, the Command formally moved the pangolins to the Wildlife Conservation Centre on February 13, 2026, putting the creatures' welfare first following the seizure. 

According to him, Assistant Comptroller Tajjudeen Bello, Acting Deputy Comptroller for Administration, carried out the transfer on behalf of Acting Customs Area Comptroller Oladapo Afeni. 

Throughout the clandestine activities, the police displayed exceptional bravery and professionalism, according to the area comptroller. 

The comptroller reaffirmed the Command's resolve to work with its partners to halt the illicit trade in endangered species and to be vigilant against trans-border crime.

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