The Nigeria Police Force INTERPOL National Central Bureau, NCB Abuja, has successfully recovered and repatriated a 2018 Lexus SUV and a 2025 Toyota Hilux that were stolen at gunpoint in Abuja and trafficked to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso by a cross-border vehicle syndicate.
The recovery was carried out under the leadership of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, psc(+), NPM. According to the Force, the Lexus SUV was snatched on 3rd August 2025, while the Toyota Hilux was taken on 20th February 2026. The vehicles were traced to Burkina Faso after requests for assistance were received from the Special Adviser to the President on Energy and the Office of the FCT Primary Health Care Board.
Following the requests, INTERPOL NCB Abuja activated international cooperation channels with INTERPOL NCB Ouagadougou to track the stolen vehicles. The operation involved coordinated efforts with the Office of the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Nigerian Ambassador to Burkina Faso, and intelligence counterparts at NCB Ouagadougou.
Through joint intelligence and diplomatic channels, both vehicles were successfully traced, recovered, and repatriated to Nigeria. They have since been formally handed over to representatives of the Special Adviser to the President on Energy and the FCT Primary Health Care Board, the rightful owners of the vehicles.
In the course of the operation, one suspect, Issoufou Nagimou, was arrested in Burkina Faso. He has been charged before the High Court of Burkina Faso for his alleged role in the cross-border trafficking syndicate operating within Nigeria and the Sahel region.
The Nigeria Police Force reaffirmed its commitment to deepening international police cooperation through the INTERPOL platform. The Force said it remains relentless in pursuing criminal syndicates involved in transnational vehicle theft and other forms of organized crime.
The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, anipr, urged Nigerians to continue providing credible information to security agencies. He noted that such collaboration remains critical to dismantling criminal networks and protecting lives and property across the country.
