Focused Conservation, working alongside the Nigeria Customs Service Special Wildlife Office (NSWO), recently played a key role in disrupting a major wildlife trafficking group in Abuja, Nigeria. Intelligence developed by the NSWO and Focused Conservation revealed that a group of traffickers was attempting to sell four large elephant ivory tusks.
During deconfliction, it was determined that the National Environmental Standards & Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) was also pursuing similar intelligence. This led to a joint coordination meeting, the sharing of information, and a unified decision to launch a collaborative enforcement action called Operation Yellow.
On October 29, 2025, officers from the NSWO, supported by Nigeria Customs Intelligence and Customs Police, conducted a successful enforcement operation. The coordinated effort resulted in the arrest of three wildlife traffickers and the seizure of the four elephant tusks, along with additional evidence critical to the ongoing investigation. The seized tusks weighed a total of 76.4 kilograms.
The partnership between the NSWO and NESREA on Operation Yellow represents a milestone achievement, highlighting the growing impact and effectiveness of the Special Wildlife Office in combating wildlife crime across Nigeria. Focused Conservation is proud to support this progress and remains committed to strengthening enforcement capacity and collaboration to protect Africa’s most endangered species.
