Nigeria police recover stolen vehicles trafficked to Burkina Faso

The Nigeria Police Force has successfully recovered and repatriated two vehicles that were stolen at gunpoint in Abuja and subsequently trafficked to Burkina Faso. The operation targeted a cross-border vehicle trafficking syndicate operating across Nigeria and the Sahel region.

Police spokesperson Ani Iniedu announced that the recovery was coordinated by the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) in Abuja. The stolen vehicles were identified as a 2018 Lexus SUV and a 2025 Toyota Hilux. These vehicles were assigned to the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Energy and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Primary Health Care Board, respectively. The Lexus was stolen on August 3, 2025, and the Toyota Hilux on February 20, 2025.

An international recovery effort was initiated by INTERPOL NCB Abuja following requests for assistance from the vehicle owners. This operation involved close collaboration with INTERPOL NCB in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, supported by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and the Nigerian Embassy in Burkina Faso. The vehicles were traced, recovered, and returned to Nigeria before being handed over to representatives of the government offices.

During the operation, one suspect, Issoufou Nagimou, was apprehended and has been charged before the High Court of Burkina Faso. The police spokesperson reiterated the force's dedication to enhancing international police cooperation through INTERPOL and dismantling transnational criminal networks involved in cross-border vehicle trafficking.

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In the course of the operation, one suspect, Issoufou Nagimou, was arrested and has been charged before the High Court of Burkina Faso.