By Isaac Anyaogu
LAGOS, April 14 (Reuters) – Nigeria’s customs said on Tuesday its officials had intercepted two hyenas, a porcupine and 24 protected birds, the sixth major wildlife seizure since parliament passed a long‑awaited protection law in October that has not yet come into force.
The bill, intended to overhaul Nigeria’s wildlife protection framework and sharply increase penalties, cleared both chambers of the National Assembly late last year but has yet to receive presidential assent.
“There was an omission in the schedules where some species classified as endangered globally are not considered endangered in Nigeria,” said Terseer Ugbor, a lawmaker involved in drafting the bill. “We had to go back and correct that.”
Ugbor said the revisions have now been completed and the bill was ready for signing.
Conservation groups said they were pushing for the bill to be signed quickly.
“Signing the law will significantly empower investigators, prosecutors and the judiciary to curb wildlife trafficking,” said Linus Unah, West Africa director at conservation group Wild Africa.
The bill would align domestic law more closely with international conventions, expand protected species lists and introduce tougher sanctions, including longer prison terms and higher fines.
As it awaits the presidential signature, the wildlife trafficking the law is meant to curb has continued – as the latest seizures highlight.
Since October, the Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted elephant ivory in Abuja, live pangolins in northern and southwestern states, a lion cub and monkeys near the Benin border, and most recently the animals hidden in a vehicle in the northeastern city of Maiduguri, according to customs statements.
Abdullahi Maiwada, a customs spokesperson, said the agency could not comment on delays in the law’s enactment but welcomed stronger legal frameworks to support enforcement.
(Reporting by Isaac Anyaogu; Editing by Alex Richardson)
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