Customs FOU 'A' Arrests Widelife Smuggling Kingpin

ZAINAB JUNAID  

The Federal Operations Unit Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service(NCS) has arrested Mr Felix Maiva, a wanted wildlife smuggling kingpin who has been on the run since 2021. 

Mr Maiva's arrest is a fallout of intense investigation and surveillance that followed the discovery of a 1 X 20 feet container found to contain 4,752kg of elephant ivory, 5,239kg of pangolin scales, 5kg of rhinoceros horns, and some lion skeletons. 

In a statement made available to Journslists and signed by the Public Relations Officer of the Unit, Theophilus Duniya, the illegal wildlife products were bound to be exported to Haiphong, Vietnam, in January 2021 through Apapa Sea Port, Lagos-Nigeria.

According to the statement, "the suspect is a shipping agent for the BERETE organized crime group that has earlier been declared wanted by the Nigeria Customs Service for their involvement in a smuggling crime in January 2021 and other organized wildlife trafficking offences.

"It is worthy of note that the earlier wildlife seizure made by operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service in Apapa led to the conviction of a clearing agent, Mr Felix OLAME, in June 2023 by a Federal High Court in Lagos.

Speaking on the development, the Ag. Comptroller of the Zone, Hussein K Ejibunu, who commended the officers for their tact, intelligence and consistency in following up on the suspect, reiterated that smuggling suspects, no matter how far they run, would be caught by the long arms of the law. He describes the breakthrough as a morale booster for officers following up on similar cases and suspects.

Maiva’s arrest was as a result of an intelligence-driven operation by Officers of the Nigeria Customs Service and the Wildlife Justice Commission to support the global effort to fight crimes against endangered species.