The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has announced the recovery of two vehicles stolen in separate armed robbery incidents in Abuja and subsequently trafficked to Burkina Faso, following a joint operation with INTERPOL and international law enforcement partners.
The recovered vehicles — a 2018 Lexus SUV and a 2025 Toyota Hilux — were traced and returned to Nigeria through the efforts of the Nigeria Police Force INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) Abuja.
Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Aniete Iniedu, said in a statement that the Lexus SUV was stolen on August 3, 2025, while the Toyota Hilux was taken during a separate armed robbery on February 20, 2026.
According to the statement, the recovery was set in motion by 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.
INTERPOL NCB Abuja subsequently activated its international cooperation channels with INTERPOL NCB Ouagadougou, which led to the tracing and retrieval of both vehicles. The operation was coordinated with the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Nigerian Embassy in Burkina Faso, and relevant law enforcement authorities in Ouagadougou.
The recovered vehicles have since been handed back to representatives of the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Energy and the FCT Primary Health Care Board.
Police also disclosed that a suspect, identified as Issoufou Nagimou, was arrested in connection with the case and has been charged before the High Court of Burkina Faso over his alleged role in the cross-border trafficking of the vehicles.
The Force said the operation underscores the importance of international cooperation and intelligence sharing in the fight against transnational crime, and reaffirmed its commitment to working with INTERPOL and other global partners to tackle cross-border vehicle trafficking and other forms of organised crime.