In a significant move against organized crime, President Bola Tinubu has directed a nationwide crackdown on transnational car theft syndicates and cybercriminals operating within Nigeria. The President’s mandate, delivered through his Special Adviser on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, tasks key security agencies with intensifying efforts to track down and prosecute individuals involved in these illicit activities.
Among the agencies targeted for this heightened action are the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA). President Tinubu emphasized that cutting off the financial lifeline of criminals by seizing stolen goods is one of the most effective ways to combat their activities.
This directive comes in the wake of the EFCC’s recent recovery and handover of 53 stolen vehicles and $180,300 to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The assets belonged to two Canadian citizens who were defrauded by Nigerian nationals in a sophisticated cybercrime operation. The victims, identified as Elena Bogomas and Sandra Butler, suffered significant financial losses, with Bogomas losing $164,000 and Butler $16,300 in the scam.
The EFCC’s success in recovering these stolen assets and returning them to their rightful owners was lauded by President Tinubu, who described the action as a testament to Nigeria’s commitment to eradicating organized crime. He praised the agency’s collaborative efforts with international partners, such as the RCMP, to track down stolen vehicles that were freighted to Nigeria and distributed across multiple locations.
Expressing concern over Nigeria being used as a hub for transnational car theft, Tinubu reiterated his administration’s zero-tolerance policy toward financial crimes. He emphasized that Nigeria will not serve as a destination for illicit wealth or stolen goods from other countries, and instructed anti-corruption bodies to safeguard confiscated assets in accordance with national laws and international agreements.
“The President notes that one of the most effective tools available to law enforcement agencies is depriving criminals of the proceeds from their illicit activities,” read the statement from the President’s office. “While expressing concern over the involvement of transnational organised criminal groups in exporting stolen vehicles to Nigeria, President Tinubu commends the Commission for collaborating with partners to ensure a coordinated and professional response to this menace.”
In his address, Tinubu assured Nigerians that despite the influence of international criminal organizations, his administration remains firmly committed to upholding the financial integrity of the country and ensuring that Nigeria will not be a haven for stolen goods or financial crime networks.
The EFCC’s Executive Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, recently handed over the recovered vehicles and funds to Canadian representatives, including Robert Aboumitri, First Secretary and Deputy High Commissioner of Canada, and Nasser Salihou, Liaison Officer and Programme Manager of the RCMP, during a formal ceremony in Lagos. The handover follows a July 2024 court ruling by Justice Deinde I. Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, which ordered the final forfeiture of 20 cars stolen from Canada and trafficked into Nigeria.
As Nigeria steps up efforts to curb the influence of transnational criminal syndicates, President Tinubu has tasked law enforcement agencies to remain vigilant and ensure that Nigeria plays no part in international criminal networks.
Peoplesmind