Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria — August 21, 2026
Two live lion cubs have been rescued and one suspect arrested following an intelligence-led wildlife trafficking operation in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria.
Known as Operation Highlander, the August 21 operation was conducted by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Customs Intelligence Unit (CIU) Special Wildlife Office (NSWO), Special Intelligence Squad (SIS), and Customs Police Unit, with technical and operational support from Focused Conservation.
Operation Highlander was initiated after the NSWO received and verified intelligence indicating that an individual was keeping two live lion cubs at a residence in Zaria. Recognizing both the conservation implications and the potential danger posed by the animals being held in an unsuitable environment, the intelligence was prioritized for immediate operational action.
The Special Wildlife Office is a specialized unit within the Nigeria Customs Service focused on combating wildlife crime and disrupting trafficking networks operating within Nigeria. The unit develops and acts upon intelligence to identify, target, investigate, interdict and support the prosecution of individuals involved in wildlife crime.
Focused Conservation provides ongoing technical assistance and mentorship to the NSWO, supporting the development of investigative, intelligence and operational capabilities.
Two Cubs Safely Rescued
On August 21, NCS CIU SWO operatives, working alongside personnel from the SIS and Customs Police Unit, deployed to the identified residence in Zaria. The team located the two live lion cubs and safely removed them from the property. One suspect was arrested during the operation and taken into Customs custody.
The suspect and the rescued cubs were transported to the Kaduna Customs Command, where the immediate priorities were to secure the animals, protect the public and begin arrangements for their transfer to an appropriate conservation facility.
The following day, August 22, the suspect and cubs were transported from Kaduna to Abuja. Plans were made to move the animals by air to Lagos for specialized care and safekeeping. However, the transport cages required for the safe movement of the cubs could not be accommodated within the aircraft cabin. Rather than compromise the welfare or safety of the animals, alternative transportation arrangements were initiated. The welfare and security of the two cubs remained the priority while arrangements were made for their safe transfer to an appropriate conservation facility.
The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the possession and intended movement of the animals remains ongoing.
Every Lion Matters
For a species already facing significant pressures from habitat loss, declining prey, human-wildlife conflict, poaching and illegal trade, the trafficking of live lions represents more than the loss of individual animals. It can also provide a window into the networks that source, transport and sell wildlife across jurisdictions—and the routes and methods those networks use to move animals through Nigeria.
The two cubs rescued in Operation Highlander are also the latest live lions intercepted by Nigeria’s Special Wildlife Office with support from Focused Conservation. Just weeks earlier, on August 4, 2026, an intelligence-led operation at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport resulted in the seizure of that were allegedly being moved through Nigeria toward Congo-Brazzaville. Three suspects, including the alleged owner, a driver and a Customs clearing agent were arrested, and the cubs were subsequently transferred to Greenfingers for veterinary care and rehabilitation in Lagos.
Together, the two operations resulted in the rescue of four live lion cubs within just 17 days, while investigators in both cases worked to determine the animals’ origins, intended destinations and the individuals responsible for their trafficking. While it is too early to determine whether the cases are connected, the repeated interception of live lions demonstrates the importance of intelligence sharing, targeted enforcement and sustained attention to emerging trafficking routes.
Operation Highlander is another example of what can happen when actionable intelligence, specialized law enforcement capability and conservation expertise come together. It also demonstrates why wildlife trafficking cannot be viewed simply as an environmental issue. The people moving endangered wildlife are exploiting the same vulnerabilities such as transport networks, borders, commercial intermediaries and international demand.
For Focused Conservation, these operations reinforce a central principle of its work: wildlife trafficking is a criminal enterprise, and disrupting it requires an intelligence-led approach that targets the people, networks and logistics behind the illegal trade, not just the wildlife being moved.
For these four lion cubs, the immediate objective is recovery, rehabilitation and a safe future. For investigators, however, each seizure represents something more, an opportunity to follow the intelligence, identify the network and prevent the next shipment of wildlife from ever reaching its destination.
