Customs Seize Over 1,600 Exotic Birds in Massive Airport Bust

On July 31st, 2025, customs officials at Nigeria's Lagos international airport intercepted a massive shipment of over 1,600 live parrots and canaries that were being transported to Kuwait without the required permits. The cargo, which included rare species like ring-necked parakeets and yellow-fronted canaries, was one of the biggest such seizures at the airport in recent years.

Nigeria has become a major transit hub for the illegal wildlife trade, with traffickers exploiting the country's porous borders to smuggle endangered species across the globe. The country is a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which regulates the global trade in wild fauna and flora. However, the lucrative exotic pet market continues to drive high demand for rare and protected birds.

Customs controller Michael Awe stated that the intercepted birds were not accompanied by the necessary CITES documentation to prove they were legally obtained. "No illegal shipment will slip through the cracks under my watch at the airport," he warned, "because the eagle eyes of my command officers are everywhere to detect and intercept."

The seized birds will now be handed over to the National Parks Service for further investigation and potential rehabilitation. Authorities are also working to identify and apprehend those responsible for the illicit wildlife trafficking operation.