The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has formally handed over a number of intercepted stolen luxury vehicles that were traced to Canada. This development was disclosed by the NCS spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada, in a statement released on Sunday, May 10, 2026. According to the statement, the handover is part of ongoing efforts to bolster international confidence in Nigeria's anti-smuggling and cargo intelligence systems.
Handover Ceremony at Tin Can Island Port
The handover ceremony took place on Monday, May 4, 2026, at the Tin Can Island Port. The Deputy High Commissioner of Canada to Nigeria, Nasser Salihou, officially received the recovered vehicles from the Customs Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller Frank Onyeka. The recovery followed months of intelligence sharing and operational collaboration between the NCS and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, after Canadian authorities traced several stolen high-end vehicles believed to have been smuggled into Nigeria via international shipping channels.
List of Recovered Vehicles
Internal Customs documents dated May 5, 2026, revealed that the intercepted vehicles included a 2019 Lexus RX350, a 2019 Mercedes-Benz G550, a 2023 Land Rover Range Rover, a 2019 Lamborghini Huracan, a 2021 Rolls-Royce Dawn Convertible, a 2018 Lamborghini Aventador, and a 2026 Toyota Tundra. All were confirmed stolen and illegally exported before ending up in Nigeria.
Speaking shortly after the handover, Comptroller Onyeka disclosed that one of the vehicles, a Toyota Tacoma, was initially concealed inside a container carrying other vehicles. It had not yet exited Customs control before intelligence from Canadian authorities triggered immediate intervention. Once the alert was received and shipping documentation transmitted through official channels, officers of the Command moved swiftly to isolate the suspicious consignment, extract the affected vehicle, and place it under enforcement custody pending diplomatic verification.
"What looked like a routine cargo movement quickly became an international criminal investigation. Once intelligence reached us, we placed the consignment under enforcement watch and secured the vehicle pending confirmation from Canadian authorities," Comptroller Onyeka said.
He explained that the Service deliberately delayed the final release until officials of the Canadian government arrived in person to complete identification and recovery procedures. "We had people who wanted to step in on behalf of others, but this was too sensitive. We insisted the handover must be directly to the Canadian government to preserve the integrity of the process," he added.
Comptroller Onyeka reiterated that the operation signalled the Nigeria Customs Service's might in fighting against transnational vehicle theft syndicates that exploit global shipping routes to move stolen automobiles across continents. He further stated that the recovery has revealed the ongoing cooperation between Nigeria and Canada in intelligence sharing, cargo profiling, and maritime enforcement, particularly in tackling organised cross-border crimes involving stolen assets, illicit trade, and other fraudulent activities.
