Increase penalty for pangolins’ traffickers – Expert urges FG

By Nneka Nwogwugwu

Mr. Chinedu Mogbo of Greenfingers Wildlife Conservation Initiative has urged the Federal government to increase the penalty for trafficking pangolins and ensure forest resources are protected.

Mogbo said this in commemoration of World Pangolin Day.

The WPD is celebrated on the “Third Saturday of February” every year. In 2022, the yearly World was celebrated on February 19 and it marked the 11th edition of the event.

The Conservationist said that weak laws and enforcement have made Nigeria to lose its endangered species and forest resources.

Also, speaking during a recent awareness event, the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) called on all Nigerians to take useful urgent actions in conserving the remaining species of Pangolin.

NCF is seeking help of all concerned Nigerians in creating huge awareness about the need for pangolin conservation.

NCF Head of Communications, Mr. Oladapo Soneye, in a statement, said pangolins play a critical role in the ecosystems, by providing the earth with natural pest control. A single pangolin eats as much as 70 million insects per year, which is important to keep soils aerated, tender and fertile.

He said: “In recent times, the rate at which Pangolins are locally sourced, packaged and routed through Nigeria for the international markets and the scale of occasional seizures reported are cogent to motivate the earnest support and participation of identified stakeholders.”

Poaching of pangolins for international wildlife trafficking is a major threat to the species. It is estimated that since 2000, more than one million pangolins have been traded illegally, which makes them the most trafficked wild mammal in the world.