On Friday, Theophilus Duniya, the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Customs Service’s Federal Operations Unit in Zone A Ikeja, issued a statement reporting the arrest of Mr. Felix Maiva, a suspected wildlife smuggling kingpin who had been on the run since 2021.
The arrest followed the discovery of a 20-foot container carrying 4,752kg of elephant ivory, 5,239kg of pangolin scales, 5kg of rhinoceros horns, and lion skeletons, which was en route to Haiphong, Vietnam, through the Apapa Port in Lagos, Nigeria.
The arrest was made after an intense investigation and surveillance. It is worth noting that an earlier wildlife seizure by NCS operatives in Apapa led to the conviction of a clearing agent, Mr. Felix Olame, in June 2023, by a Federal High Court in Lagos.