Court sentences Guinean to two years in prison for wildlife trafficking

Friday Omosola Metro 21/12/2023

A Federal High Court in Lagos State has sentenced Mamoduo Barete, a Guinean to two years in prison for trafficking and trading pangolin scales—a prohibited and endangered wildlife species.

The judgment, delivered by Justice Yelim Bogoro, offers Mamoduo the option to pay a fine of N500,000.

The Nigerian Customs Service disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, noting that Mamoduo was convicted on charges of conspiracy, trafficking, and trading in pangolin scales, a violation of Section 516 of the Criminal Code, 2004.

The conviction resulted from a joint operation with the Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC) in December 2022, where Mamoduo was one of the arrested suspects.

The statement read: “NCS and WJC partnership is one that works, and they are committed to continue to work together to target these transnational organized crime networks.”

“The conviction has raised the Service’s convictions in illegal wildlife cases to no fewer than 11 between May and December 12, 2023. Tens of other wildlife trafficking suspects are standing trial in court,” according to a statement issued by the Nigeria Customs Service.

“The Nigeria Customs Service is one organisation that is leading by example; they are doing the job and making the whole world proud through the unrelenting effort and coordination by the NCS Special Wildlife Office and the prosecutors.”