Stakeholders combating environmental crime have warned that wildlife trafficking is increasingly fuelling organised crime, including money laundering, arms proliferation and other cross-border criminal activities across regions and countries.

The warning was issued at a capacity-building workshop for judges and magistrates in Calabar on Friday under the European Union-funded GUARD Wildlife Project.

The workshop was designed to strengthen the prosecution of wildlife and forest crimes through improved collaboration among law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and members of the judiciary.

Speaking at the event, Conservator of Cross River National Park, Joseph Ntui, described wildlife crime as one of the most lucrative criminal enterprises globally.

Mr Ntui said wildlife trafficking extended beyond the illegal trade in animals and plants and was often linked to wider criminal networks operating across national borders.

According to him, criminal syndicates use proceeds from wildlife trafficking to finance other illegal activities, including money laundering, arms proliferation and threats to public security.

“Wildlife crime is associated with money laundering, insecurity and the proliferation of arms. We are dealing with a very big issue,” he said.

Mr Ntui emphasised the need for stronger collaboration between conservation agencies and judicial institutions to effectively tackle the growing threat posed by wildlife trafficking.

He identified poor evidence gathering as a major challenge, noting that weak investigations often undermined the successful prosecution and conviction of wildlife crime offenders.

The conservator called for additional training for investigators and prosecutors to improve case-building, strengthen evidence management and secure better outcomes in court proceedings.

Similarly, the State Director of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Raymond Anunobi, described the workshop as timely.

Mr Anunobi said exposing judicial officers to the realities of wildlife crime would strengthen enforcement of national and international conservation laws and regulations.

Demben Aferekpe, chief superintendent of the Nigeria Immigration Service, highlighted the role of immigration officers in preventing traffickers and illegal wildlife products from crossing national borders.

On his part, Justice Joseph Bassey of the Cross River High Court said effective enforcement of wildlife laws remained vital to protecting ecosystems and biodiversity.

Mr Bassey assured participants that the judiciary would continue to enforce environmental laws and hold wildlife crime offenders accountable whenever such cases came before the courts.

(NAN)