The Nigeria Police Force has successfully recovered several vehicles stolen from within the country and smuggled into neighboring West African nations, including Ghana and Niger.
The recoveries were made possible through coordinated international operations conducted by the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) in Abuja.
This was disclosed in a press statement issued by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, who revealed that operatives in Abuja, in partnership with INTERPOL NCB Accra, located and retrieved a 2020 Toyota Prado SUV in Accra, Ghana.
The vehicle, belonging to a Federal Government agency, had been taken during a robbery in Abuja. Three suspects were apprehended and arraigned before a court in Accra, while the vehicle has since been returned to Nigeria and handed over to the agency.
In a separate case, INTERPOL operatives tracked a 2018 Toyota Hilux, also registered to a Federal Government agency, to Agadez in Niger Republic. The vehicle was stolen from an agency staff member in Utako, Abuja, on October 18, 2024. Following sustained investigations and collaboration with INTERPOL NCB Niamey, the vehicle was recovered and handed over at the Nigeria-Niger border (Ilela/Konni) to a designated representative of the agency.
According to the statement, efforts are also underway to retrieve two more vehicles – a Toyota Land Cruiser SUV and a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado – both stolen in Abuja in May 2025 and later sold in Niamey, Niger Republic.
The Police urged Nigerians to register their vehicles with its electronic platforms and to take proactive steps to secure their property against theft.
Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, praised the personnel involved in these recoveries and reaffirmed his administration’s resolve to strengthen international cooperation in tackling transnational crime. He acknowledged the roles played by INTERPOL offices in Accra and Niamey, as well as the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana, in facilitating the operations.
