NPF INTERPOL Abuja Cracks Cross-Border Auto Theft Ring, Recovers Vehicles from Burkina Faso
By Our Reporter
Abuja (Core Reporters) – The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) Abuja has dismantled a cross-border vehicle trafficking operation, recovering and repatriating a 2018 Lexus SUV and a 2025 Toyota Hilux that were stolen at gunpoint in Abuja and trafficked to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, disclosed the development in a statement issued in Abuja on July 27, 2026.
According to Iniedu, the successful operation, carried out under the leadership of the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, targeted a syndicate specializing in cross-border vehicle theft and trafficking across Nigeria and the Sahel region.
The Lexus SUV was stolen on August 3, 2025, while the Toyota Hilux was snatched on February 20, 2026. Acting on requests from the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Energy and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Primary Health Care Board, INTERPOL NCB Abuja activated its international cooperation channels with INTERPOL NCB Ouagadougou to track the stolen vehicles.
Through coordinated efforts involving the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Nigerian Embassy in Burkina Faso, and INTERPOL NCB Ouagadougou, both vehicles were successfully traced, recovered, and returned to Nigeria. They have since been handed over to representatives of the Special Adviser to the President on Energy and the FCT Primary Health Care Board.
The operation also led to the arrest of one suspect, Issoufou Nagimou, who has been arraigned before the High Court of Burkina Faso.
The Nigeria Police Force reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening international law enforcement collaboration through INTERPOL and sustaining efforts to dismantle transnational criminal networks involved in vehicle trafficking, in line with its mandate to protect lives and property.
