By Danjuma Amodu | April 23, 2026
ABUJA – A wildlife trafficker who had been wanted by the Federal High Court in Lagos for nearly two years has been apprehended after five years on the run, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has disclosed.
The arrest of Shamsideen Abubakar was carried out in a joint enforcement operation by NESREA, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC), according to a statement issued on Tuesday by Nwamaka Ejiofor, Assistant Director, Press, NESREA.
Abubakar was identified as a key figure in a trafficking network and had been at large since September 2021. His flight followed a coordinated operation by the WJC and NCS that led to the arrest of his associates, Sunday Ebenyi and Salif Sandwidi, and the seizure of 1,009.50 kilograms of pangolin scales in the Ikeja area of Lagos.
“Shamsideen Abubakar’s arrest, five years after his involvement in large-scale wildlife trafficking and almost two years after being officially declared wanted by the Federal High Court, demonstrates the commitment of Nigeria’s law enforcement agencies and NGO partners like the Wildlife Justice Commission to conduct long-term investigations with a multi-dimensional operational approach,” the statement said.
The agency added that the arrest “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.”
According to NESREA, the development further disrupts already significantly weakened criminal networks in Nigeria and those connected from other countries. “The arrest sends a strong signal to Nigeria’s illegal wildlife trafficking network that arrest warrants will be strongly pursued,” it stated.
Reacting to the arrest, the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer 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. We remain resolute on this, and will ensure that every seizure, every arrest, and every conviction is pursued with unrelenting commitment until this illicit trade is eradicated from our shores.”
“The success we have achieved today is the result of strategic partnership, intelligence sharing, and joint enforcement operations. We salute our partners and other sister agencies while we call on the public to report suspicious activities, and urge intending traffickers to desist because the era of impunity is over,” Prof Barikor added.
Nigeria has been identified as a major transit hub for illegal wildlife products, particularly pangolin scales and ivory, destined for Asia.
The Federal Government, through NESREA and the NCS, has in recent years intensified collaboration with international partners such as the Wildlife Justice Commission to dismantle trafficking syndicates. Pangolins are listed under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), meaning all international commercial trade is prohibited.
