The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has recovered and repatriated two vehicles stolen at gunpoint in Abuja and trafficked to Burkina Faso, following a coordinated international operation involving the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) Abuja and its counterparts in Ouagadougou.
The operation, carried out under the leadership of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun’s successor, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, led to the recovery of a 2018 Lexus SUV and a 2025 Toyota Hilux allegedly stolen by a syndicate involved in cross-border vehicle trafficking across Nigeria and the Sahel region.
According to a statement issued on Monday by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, the Lexus SUV was hijacked on August 3, 2025, while the Toyota Hilux was stolen on February 20, 2026.
The police said the recovery followed separate requests for assistance from the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Energy and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Primary Health Care Board.
Upon receiving the requests, INTERPOL NCB Abuja activated its international cooperation channels with INTERPOL NCB Ouagadougou, leading to the successful tracing and recovery of the stolen vehicles.
The operation was supported by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Nigerian Ambassador to Burkina Faso, and intelligence officers attached to INTERPOL NCB Ouagadougou.
Following their recovery, both vehicles were repatriated to Nigeria and formally handed over to representatives of the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Energy and the FCT Primary Health Care Board.
The police also disclosed that one suspect, identified as Issoufou Nagimou, was arrested in connection with the crime and has been charged before the High Court of Burkina Faso.
The Force reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening international police cooperation through the INTERPOL platform and vowed to sustain efforts aimed at dismantling cross-border vehicle trafficking syndicates. #Securitynewsalert.com
