The Nigeria Police Force has recovered and repatriated two vehicles that were stolen at gunpoint in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and trafficked to Burkina Faso by a cross-border vehicle trafficking syndicate operating across Nigeria and the Sahel.
Penpushing reports that Force Public Relations Officer Ani Iniedu made this known in a statement on Monday, explaining that the operation was coordinated by the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) Abuja.
The police spokesperson, a chief superintendent of police, identified the vehicles to include a 2018 Lexus SUV and a 2025 Toyota Hilux, adding that the vehicles belong to the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Energy and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Primary Health Care Board.
Penpushing further reports that Iniedu stated that the Lexus SUV was stolen on August 3, 2025, while the Toyota Hilux was snatched on February 20, 2026, adding that INTERPOL NCB Abuja launched an international recovery effort after receiving separate requests for assistance from the owners of the vehicles.
The Force spokesperson explained that the operation involved collaboration between INTERPOL NCB Abuja and its counterpart in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, with support from the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, as well as the Nigerian Embassy in Burkina Faso.
Penpushing also reports that he said the vehicles were successfully traced, recovered and returned to Nigeria before being handed over to representatives of the two government offices, disclosing that one suspect was arrested during the operation.
The Force Public Relations Officer gave identity of the suspect as Issoufou Nagimou, who he said has been charged before the High Court of Burkina Faso, however, he reaffirmed the police’s commitment to strengthening international police cooperation through INTERPOL and dismantling transnational criminal networks involved in cross-border vehicle trafficking across the region.
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