By Padio Phineas, Yola
In a major crackdown on wildlife trafficking, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adamawa/Taraba Area Command, has intercepted 120 African Grey Parrots, including nine dead, smuggled into Nigeria from Cameroon.
The live birds, highly prized on the black market, are estimated to be worth over ₦55 million in Abuja’s pet trade, with each selling for up to ₦500,000.
The parrots were discovered on Friday, June 27, 2025, hidden in six wooden boxes in a vehicle entering Nigeria through the Gurin border in Adamawa State. The seizure was made following credible intelligence and is part of the command’s intensified anti-smuggling operations.
Customs Area Comptroller, during a press conference in Yola on Wednesday, decried the brutal smuggling methods that led to the death of nine parrots, citing the inhumane packaging and conditions the birds were subjected to during transit.
“This ban was put in place due to the drastic decline in wild African Grey Parrot populations, largely driven by rampant illegal and unsustainable trade for the pet industry,” he said.
African Grey Parrots are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), to which Nigeria is a signatory. The birds are renowned for their intelligence and ability to mimic human speech, making them one of the most trafficked wildlife species globally.
In line with Nigeria’s commitment to wildlife protection, the 111 surviving parrots will be handed over to the World Parrot Trust for rehabilitation and eventual return to the wild. Legal proceedings are already underway against the wildlife trafficker arrested in connection with the smuggling attempt.
The wildlife seizure was part of a broader three-week anti-smuggling operation that resulted in 19 seizures worth ₦67.7 million.
