The Federal Ministry of Environment in collaboration with Born Free USA inaugurated Wildlife Law Enforcement Tasks Force (WLETF) and National Combating Wildlife Crime Steering Committee (NCWCSC) are collaborating to combat wildlife crime in Nigeria.
The Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abdullahi, on Wednesday in Abuja said the intrinsic value of this inauguration is as a result of serious threats ranging from poaching of illegal trade of species in Nigeria.
The minister who was represented by the acting Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Environment, Mr. Charles Ikeah, reiterated that Nigeria no doubt is blessed with a diverse ecosystem ranging from semi-arid savannah to mountain forests, rich seasonal floodplains rainforests, vast freshwater swamp forests, and the largest tract of mangrove in Africa.
Abdullahi added that these unique ecosystems are home to an array of endangered and endemic species, including elephants, chimpanzees, and the most endangered is gorilla.
He said, “Nigeria is also known as a global biodiversity hotspot for a lot of primate and amphibian species, adding that Nigeria is being targeted by ruthless criminals, who will stop at nothing to smuggle endangered species across Nigeria borders
“Thus making us a destination and transit location apart from being a consumer Nation of Wildlife. They are plundering our precious natural resources at an alarming and entirely unsustainable rate.
“Additionally, wildlife crime threatens the ecosystem services, including supplies
of freshwater, food and sources of revenue that millions of people rely on across our country.
“As a result of this extinction at alarming rate of our precious natural resources, Nigeria’s remarkable environments have been subject to irredeemable catastrophic levels of biodiversity loss if no fast and serious action is taken
“Wildlife crime is also undermining Nigeria’s ability to mitigate against the effects of climate change, through the large-scale loss of forest cover due to illegal and unsustainable logging
“Distinguished guests, this crime is being undertaken by Organized Criminal Groups who undermine the rule of law and challenge our natural heritage. The activities of these organized crime groups span across National boundaries and continents, using fraud and corruption.
“Wildlife criminals are known to link poachers in West Africa to consumers, buyers and sellers in Asia, Europe and the US. They are often the same groups that carry out other forms of transnational organized crime, such as trafficking of drugs, weapons and humans.
“Combating wildlife crime is, therefore, critical for our country and will not be tolerated within Nigeria’s borders
“This is why, in 2022, we launched the first ever National Strategy to Combat Wildlife and Forest Crime in Nigeria I know that many people here today were instrumental in the development of this strategy and I thank you once again for your invaluable contributions
“This Task Force will be the primary enforcement implementation mechanism for our wildlife crime strategy. The purpose of this Task Force is to provide coordinated, cooperative and centralized wildlife law enforcement support by facilitating national multi-agency information sharing, intelligence-led operations and collaborative compliance and enforcement actions.
“The Task Force will additionally be guided by a National Combating Wildlife Crime Steering Committee, which will bring together high-level officials of WLETF Member Authorities, to decide on WLETF strategic activities and to liaise with the Federal Ministry of Environment
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you in this room who has contributed to combating wildlife crime in our country by putting in place effective mechanisms. I ask you to redouble your efforts in collaboration with our new Task Force.
“The Federal Ministry of Environment will also take this opportunity to extend its sincere appreciation to the USAID West Africa Biodiversity and Low Emissions Development (WABILED) project and the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs’ (INL) Enhancing Wildlife Law Enforcement Capacity in West Africa project, for supporting this WLETF establishment process.
“These enhanced efforts to address wildlife crime in Nigeria are part of a wider initiative by ECOWAS to tackle wildlife crime across the entire West African region. The West Africa Strategy on Combating Wildlife Crime is central to this initiative
“Implementation of this regional strategy will be undertaken by the West Africa Network to Combat Wildlife Crime, also known as the WAN. Nigeria is proud to be co-Chair, alongside Senegal, of a Steering Committee which is currently establishing that WAN.”
In her welcome remarks, Mrs. Hajara Sani, Director of Forestry, said to strengthen the policy and legal framework, is to checkmate wildlife and forest crime, also to focus on those areas crucial for effective implementation of the framework.
She added that this enforcement will involve investigation, prosecution, “It has been realized that enforcement must be taken seriously and prioritized in our strategic action in order to achieve measurable compliance and of course, the effectiveness of our various laws”.
In his remarks, Mr. Moussa LEKO, representative of ECOWAS Commission, Ag. Director of Environment and Natural Resources, said that the West Africa Network to Combat Wildlife Crime, (WASCWC) has created a new and innovative mechanism for combating wildlife crime in West Africa can be viewed as a united priority by ECOWAS,
“Its Member States and the wider global community. It will ensure that any utilization of the region’s natural resources is undertaken in a legal, sustainable and traceable way that guarantees long-term benefit to the region’s economies,” he said.
In his remarks, Jason A. Smith, Director of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INLE) commended the Nigeria government for these bold steps, assuring Nigeria of the support of US for funding through INLE.