Seme Customs Rescues Live Ses Turtle From Traffickers, Vows War On Wildlife Crime

Seme Customs Rescues Live Ses Turtle From Traffickers, Vows War On Wildlife Crime

… Smuggler Abandons Sack And Flees Into Bush As Patrol Officers Strike On Nigeria-Benin Footpath

By Success Okezie

It was a quiet night on the Nigeria-Benin border. But for the vigilant officers of the Nigeria Customs Service, Seme Area Command, quiet nights are when criminals move.

On Thursday, 12 November 2026, at about 10:30pm, a routine patrol along a lonely footpath linking Nigeria and the Republic of Benin turned into a major rescue operation — one that has once again put Seme Command at the centre of Nigeria’s fight against wildlife trafficking.

Officers on patrol sighted a suspicious man carrying a sack. The moment he noticed the patrol team, he dropped the sack, turned, and bolted into the nearby bush. Despite a hot chase, he escaped into the darkness.

But what he left behind told a bigger story.

Inside the abandoned sack, officers discovered a live Pacific Ridley Sea Turtle — also known as the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle, scientifically called _Lepidochelys olivacea_ — concealed and struggling for survival.

It was alive. It was endangered. And it was just minutes away from becoming another victim of the global illegal wildlife trade.

The officers immediately secured the turtle and kept it in safe custody. It was later handed over to the relevant wildlife authorities for proper care, rehabilitation and eventual release back into its natural habitat, in line with established conservation practices.

For Seme Command, this was not just another seizure. It was a life saved.

Wildlife trafficking remains one of the most lucrative forms of transnational organised crime in the world today. It threatens biodiversity, destroys ecosystems, fuels corruption, undermines national security and robs future generations of their natural heritage.

Sea turtles, particularly the Olive Ridley species, are among the most targeted. They are hunted and trafficked for their meat, eggs, shells, for use in traditional medicine, and for the exotic pet trade. Every single turtle taken from the wild pushes the species closer to extinction.

The Nigeria Customs Service recognises wildlife trafficking not as a minor offence, but as a serious environmental crime with far-reaching consequences.

Nigeria is not a bystander in this fight.

The country is a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), adopted in 1973 to ensure that international trade in wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.

Nigeria domesticated that Convention through the Endangered Species (Control of International Trade and Traffic) Act, Cap E9, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, which criminalises the unauthorised hunting, capture, possession, trade, importation or exportation of endangered species.

In addition, the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, empowers the Service to enforce laws relating to importation and exportation, including the suppression of smuggling and illicit trade in endangered species.

In simple terms: to capture, carry or trade a sea turtle without authorisation is a crime. And Seme is watching.

Reacting to the interception, the Acting Customs Area Controller, Seme Area Command, Deputy Comptroller Norman Olisah Alumanah, reaffirmed the unwavering commitment of the Nigeria Customs Service to protecting endangered species and enforcing national and international conservation laws.

He described the operation as a clear demonstration of the vigilance, discipline and professionalism of officers of the Command.

He stressed that the Service will not allow Nigeria’s borders to become corridors for wildlife trafficking.

Alumanah expressed appreciation to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, PhD, MFR, DSM, FNIPR, FNIIA, psc+, and the Management of the Service for equipping the Command with enhanced logistics and operational assets to strengthen its enforcement capacity.

According to him, those investments are already paying off on the field.

The Controller also called on members of border communities to support the Service with credible intelligence, noting that the fight against wildlife trafficking requires collective responsibility and the cooperation of all well-meaning Nigerians.

He warned smugglers, poachers and their collaborators to desist from the illicit trade, adding that the Command has intensified patrols, surveillance and intelligence gathering across its entire area of responsibility.

Beyond enforcement, he said the Command will complement its operations with stakeholder education and sensitisation on endangered species, their ecological importance and the legal implications of their unauthorised trade.

The Nigeria Customs Service, Seme Area Command, remains resolute in its core mandate of revenue generation, suppression of smuggling, trade facilitation and border security — while sustaining its critical role in environmental protection and the preservation of Nigeria’s rich biodiversity for future generations.

On that dark footpath on Thursday night, one smuggler escaped.

But one turtle lived.

And for Seme Command, that is a victory that matters

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