Nigerian customs seize over 1,600 parrots and canaries in major wildlife trafficking bust

Nigerian customs seize over 1,600 parrots and canaries in major wildlife trafficking bust

Nigerian customs have seized over 1,600 parrots and canaries being transported from Lagos to Kuwait without a permit.

Once a pipeline for traffickers, Nigeria is now guardian of the wild - Prime Progress NG

It was a quiet night at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on July 30, 2025. But inside the cargo terminal, Nigerian customs officials were wide awake. During a routine inspection, customs officials seized a suspicious shipment from traffickers, marked “pet supplies” bound for Kuwait.  Acting on a tip, when they opened the boxes, the air rang with the shrieks of hundreds of frightened birds—over 1,600 parrots and canaries, cramm…