_…EIA says fewer than 10 convictions from 58 cases in Nigeria as networks evade enforcement, bribe officials and link wildlife crime to drugs and money laundering_
By Danjuma Amodu
The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), a London-based environmental watchdog, has raised the alarm over the persistence of organised wildlife trafficking in West and Central Africa, warning that criminal networks continue to exploit corruption and weaknesses in law enforcement despite increased arrests and seizures.
The agency said Nigeria had become a major consolidation and export hub for illegally sourced elephant ivory and pangolin scales destined primarily for Asian markets, with traffickers adapting their operations to evade enforcement.
In its latest report, _Beyond Africa: The Persistence of Wildlife Trafficking Networks in West and Central Africa_, released on Thursday, EIA said six years of undercover investigations had revealed that wildlife trafficking remained a serious and organised criminal enterprise sustained by corruption across the supply chain.
The findings build on the agency’s 2020 report, which identified West and Central Africa as an epicentre of ivory and pangolin scale trafficking to Asia.
EIA’s Securing Criminal Justice Programme Lead, Justin Gosling, said warnings contained in the earlier report had not been adequately addressed, allowing trafficking networks to evolve rather than being dismantled.
“It’s unfortunate for wildlife and the countries concerned that the warnings of our 2020 report have not been heeded,” Gosling said.
He said the criminal networks had demonstrated a consistent capacity to circumvent enforcement pressure rather than be deterred by it.
The report acknowledged improvements in wildlife law enforcement in Nigeria and the wider region since 2020, including increased detection of incidents, arrests and prosecutions.
It also highlighted Nigeria’s Endangered Species Conservation and Protection Bill, which has passed the National Assembly and is awaiting presidential assent, describing it as the most significant overhaul of the country’s wildlife protection framework in nearly four decades.
However, Gosling said increased enforcement activities had yet to translate into the dismantling of trafficking networks.
According to the report, traffickers operating in Nigeria have responded to enforcement pressure by shifting export operations from Lagos to locations such as Port Harcourt and Enugu, where they perceive enforcement presence to be weaker.
The criminals have also modified concealment techniques, used legitimate products to disguise contraband and shifted financial transactions towards bank transfers and underground banking systems amid the depreciation of the naira.
The report identified a significant gap between arrests and successful prosecutions, stating that fewer than 10 convictions were recorded among 58 wildlife crime incidents documented in Nigeria between January 2021 and February 2026.
Across West and Central Africa, the arrest-to-conviction rate stood at only 16 per cent, with enforcement efforts largely targeting low-level operatives caught in possession of illegal wildlife products.
It said corrupt officials, logistics coordinators and financial beneficiaries who sustain trafficking networks at higher levels frequently escaped prosecution.
EIA identified corruption as a structural feature of the illegal wildlife trade, alleging that bribery occurred at different stages of the supply chain, including road checkpoints, port scanning facilities and among senior officials.
The investigations reportedly uncovered cases in which a prolific trader maintained high-level contacts who arranged bribes across relevant agencies before shipments were moved.
The report also alleged that container scanners introduced at Onne Port in 2021 to improve detection were being circumvented through the bribery of officers operating the equipment.
Beyond wildlife trafficking, the agency warned that the criminal networks were increasingly connected to drug trafficking, money laundering and other financial crimes.
It said some networks were simultaneously involved in synthetic drug trafficking and illegal wildlife trade, with illicit proceeds channelled through real estate transactions and informal value transfer systems.
The agency called for a broader, multi-agency response capable of investigating financial flows and dismantling the criminal structures behind wildlife trafficking rather than concentrating mainly on seizures and arrests.
Gosling said Nigeria could not tackle the trade in isolation, noting that ivory and pangolin scales were sourced from several countries, including Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Gabon, before being consolidated in Nigeria for export.
He called for stronger regional cooperation through joint investigations, intelligence sharing and reciprocal enforcement measures.
Despite the challenges, Gosling said there were grounds for cautious optimism, pointing to the proposed wildlife protection legislation, changing financial practices that could create new intelligence opportunities and growing recognition of the links between wildlife trafficking and other organised crimes.
He, however, warned that sustained political commitment and international support were required to reverse the trend.
“The threatened species involved cannot wait indefinitely and determined traffickers are not standing still,” he said.
The EIA said its key findings included the resilience of trafficking networks, inadequate follow-up investigations, weak transnational cooperation, low conviction rates, entrenched corruption and the growing convergence of wildlife crime with drug trafficking and money laundering.
The organisation investigates and campaigns against environmental crimes, including illegal wildlife trade, deforestation, illegal logging and pollution, using undercover investigations and advocacy to promote stronger legislation and enforcement.
