The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’, Ikeja, Lagos, has intercepted three live pangolins during an anti-smuggling operation along Oyo Dam at Igbo-Ora, Ogun State, averting their illegal trade and potential harm to Nigeria’s wildlife population.

The Acting Comptroller, FOU Zone ‘A’, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Oladapo Afeni, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, October 25, 2026.

The interception occurred on Monday, 12 October 2026, when officers acting on credible intelligence discovered the endangered animals concealed in a wire-mesh cage inside a sack.

The suspected traffickers reportedly abandoned the consignment and fled into the surrounding swamp upon sighting the Customs patrol team.

Afeni, represented by Deputy Comptroller in charge of Enforcement, Oluwaseun Oguntuase, commended the operatives for their vigilance and swift response, describing the interception as a significant step in the Service’s efforts to combat wildlife trafficking and organised smuggling.

He said the operation demonstrated the Unit’s determination to protect Nigeria’s biodiversity and disrupt criminal networks exploiting the country’s borders and waterways.

“Pangolins are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which regulates international trade in endangered wildlife. Their illegal trafficking threatens wildlife conservation and biodiversity. The three rescued animals have been handed over to the Greenfingers Wildlife Initiative Centre for safekeeping, rehabilitation and appropriate care,” he stated.

Afeni warned individuals involved in wildlife trafficking against continuing their activities, stressing that the Unit would sustain its enforcement operations.

“FOU Zone ‘A’ will continue to intensify patrols, intelligence-driven operations and inter-agency collaboration to protect endangered species and combat illegal wildlife trade,” he said.

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The Lagos State Government has intensified its preparedness efforts following Nigeria’s confirmation of an imported case of Ebola disease in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, assuring residents that the state is ready to respond to any potential threat.

The Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi, said Lagos remained on “high alert and preparedness,” stressing that the government was treating the development as a priority.

“Lagos is a gateway city with constant movement to and from Abuja, and we are treating this as a priority,” Abayomi said in a statement posted on X on Friday.

He explained that the state’s Emergency Operations Centre, EOC, had been working proactively, with measures covering disease surveillance, isolation, laboratory testing, infection prevention and control.

According to the commissioner, response teams are carrying out simulation exercises to ensure that relevant personnel understand their responsibilities and are ready to act when necessary.

He added that the state’s isolation centre had been upgraded, while efforts were underway to expand its capacity. Training on infection prevention and control is also continuing for healthcare workers in both public and private medical facilities.

Abayomi said the government was establishing a streamlined laboratory testing process designed to deliver results within 24 hours.

He noted that screening procedures at airports and other points of entry were being strengthened in partnership with federal authorities. The state is also upgrading digital disease surveillance to enable the timely detection of suspected cases, contact tracing and rapid response.

The commissioner further disclosed that a dedicated Ebola Research Committee was reviewing the latest scientific evidence on available treatments and vaccines to inform the state’s response.

As part of preventive measures, he urged residents to practise regular handwashing with soap and water and avoid contact with the blood or other body fluids of sick people.

Abayomi advised anyone experiencing symptoms such as fever, weakness, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding, or who suspects possible exposure to the disease, to avoid self-medication and seek guidance before visiting a healthcare facility.

“If you develop fever, weakness, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding, or think you have been exposed, do not self-medicate. Call before visiting a health facility,” he said.

He also urged healthcare workers to remain vigilant, obtain patients’ travel histories where appropriate and use suitable personal protective equipment when attending to suspected cases.

Residents who suspect an Ebola infection or believe they may have been exposed can contact the Lagos emergency numbers, 112 or 767, or reach the Directorate of Epidemiology, Biosecurity and Global Health on 0802 316 9485.

Abayomi called on residents to remain calm, exercise caution and obtain information about the situation only from official communications issued by the Lagos State Ministry of Health.

The General Manager of the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency, OGEPA, Kehinde Bello, has charged political office holders across Nigeria to strengthen grassroots democracy by initiating programmes that directly touch the lives of their constituents.

Bello said true democratic governance must be measured by how much it improves welfare at the community level, not by political rhetoric.

He made the call while delivering a keynote address at a one-day medical outreach in Ijebu-Imusin during the week.

Bello said, “Access to quality healthcare should not be a privilege reserved for a few, but an opportunity available to all.

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He urged politicians and public office holders to complement government efforts by investing in high-impact, people-centred programmes that deliver measurable benefits at the grassroots, particularly in health, environment and social welfare.

“When we bring healthcare closer to the people, we are not just treating; we are renewing hope and transforming lives. That is what democracy should mean to the ordinary Nigerian,” Bello added.