Nigeria Inaugurates Steering Committee To Tackle Wildlife Crime

The Nigerian government has launched the Wildlife Law Enforcement Task Force, also known as the WLETF, to address wildlife crime in the country. 

Nigeria’s Minister of Environment, Mr Mohammed Abdullahi at the launching in Abuja the nation’s capital said that the Task Force will be the primary enforcement implementation mechanism for the country’s 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.”

Abdullahi added that the Task Force will additionally be guided by a National Combating Wildlife Crime Steering Committee, (NCWCSC) 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.

The Minister represented by the Acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Charles Ikeah further reiterated the government’s commitment to combating wildlife crime which he said is critical to the country.WASCWC

“This is why, in 2022, we launched the first-ever National strategy to combat wildlife and forest crime in Nigeria.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure today to formally launch the Nigerian Wildlife Law Enforcement Task Force, also known as the WLETF,” said Ikeah. “It is part of the fallout of the strategy that has resulted in the formation of this WLETF which we are launching today.

“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,” he said.

Criminal activities

Speaking on the activities of the crime groups, the Minister said it spans 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” he said.

 

Mr Ikeah also commended, USAID West Africa Biodiversity and Low Emissions Development (WABILED) project and the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs for supporting the WLETF establishment process.

“Let me also remind us, that Nigeria is not alone in this 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 and 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 a wildlife crime strategy and task force, in combination with regional efforts to address wildlife crime, supported by ECOWAS.

“I feel convinced that we will bring these organized criminal groups to justice,” he said.

 

Committing to West Africa’s biodiversity

Representative of the ECOWAS Commission, Mr Moussa Leko, said that the ECOWAS Commission and its 15 member States are committed to preventing any further damage to West Africa’s biodiversity as a result of wildlife crime.

He noted that the Commission is committed to these processes related to addressing wildlife crimes in line with the objectives of the West Africa Strategy on Combating Wildlife Crime (WASCWC) which includes the establishment of a National Wildlife Law Enforcement Taskforce that will enable the coordination, distribution and exchange of criminal intelligence and surveillance information.

According to Mr Leko, this WASCWC creates a new and innovative mechanism by which 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 also 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.

The launch of the Wildlife Law Enforcement Taskforce WLETF and the National Combating Wildlife Crime Steering Committee NCWCSC in Nigeria is to help the country work towards making Nigeria a wildlife crime-free country.

 

 

 

 

Emmanuel Ukoh