The Nigeria Police Force has announced the recovery of two vehicles stolen during separate armed robbery incidents in Abuja and later trafficked to Burkina Faso.
The vehicles, a 2018 Lexus SUV and a 2025 Toyota Hilux, were recovered through a joint operation involving the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) Abuja and international law enforcement agencies.
Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Aniete Iniedu, said in a statement that the Lexus was stolen on August 3, 2025, while the Toyota Hilux was taken during another robbery on February 20, 2026.
According to the police, the recovery followed separate requests for assistance from the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Energy and the Federal Capital Territory Primary Health Care Board.
The statement explained that INTERPOL NCB Abuja activated its international cooperation channels with INTERPOL NCB Ouagadougou, which helped investigators trace and recover the vehicles.
The operation was carried out in collaboration with the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Nigerian Embassy in Burkina Faso, and other relevant law enforcement authorities in Ouagadougou.
Police said the recovered vehicles have been handed over to representatives of the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Energy and the FCT Primary Health Care Board.
A suspect, 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 Nigeria Police Force said the operation demonstrates the importance of international cooperation and intelligence sharing in combating transnational crime, adding that it remains committed to working with INTERPOL and other global partners to tackle cross-border vehicle trafficking and other organized criminal activities.
