Nigeria establishes Wildlife Crime Commission

April 2003

On his return from the 2002 CITES conference, Nigeria’s Minister of State for the Environment, Dr. Imeh Okopido, swung into action with the goal of ending Nigeria’s role in international wildlife crime. One of the things Dr. Okopido promised to do was to establish a commission to investigate the "Taiping Four" and other cases, including the September 2001 drowning of a baby gorilla and baby chimpanzee at Cairo Airport. The animals had reached Cairo on a flight from Nigeria.

Dr. Okopido kept his promise. On 27 February 2003, the 12 members of the commission were sworn in. Justice John U. Bassey was named Chairman of the commission. Among its members was crusading reporter John Odey Aduma. Aduma had denounced the dealings in a two part series published in June 2002 in the Daily Times of Nigeria.

In a speech to the commission members, Nigeria’s Justice Minister, Mr. Godwin Kanu Agabi, speaking on behalf of President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, stated to the commission members,
Now we are putting the lives of the animals in your hands so if, after this exercise, the animals continue to be exported, I think we can say that the blood of these animals is on your hands. I want to tell you that you have been chosen because of your past merit, your past services as patriots, your exemplary life of honesty.

Minister Agabi went on to comment on the huge wealth of animal dealers and how important it was to have honest people investigating their activities.

It was a very painstaking exercise picking the members of this panel because the people who do these things are wealthy people and the money they get are huge sums. They have enough to bribe the prosecutors. So, when you choose those who prosecute them, you have to take time and choose those who are not amenable to being bribed. So that’s precisely why you have been chosen. You were selected as experienced, patriotic Nigerians who will do these things and give credit to the country.

Minister Okopido spoke next. He discussed how a previous regime had dismantled the wildlife protection program at Nigeria’s air and sea ports and border crossings. He stated the Nigeria’s CITES enforcement unit would now be tough on offenders.

The Minister noted the worldwide concern about Nigeria’s role in the illegal wildlife trade. He commented that, in the past two years, the Federal Ministry of Environment and some of Nigeria’s foreign missions had been deluged with hundreds of letters on the subject.

IPPL has already sent a large package of documents for the commission’s consideration. News of the investigations and any actions taken will appear in future issues of IPPL News.