Nigeria Customs Hands Over Stolen Luxury Cars To Canada

Nigeria Customs hands over stolen luxury vehicles traced to Canada, highlighting anti-smuggling intelligence and bilateral cooperation.

The Nigeria Customs Service has taken a major step in the fight against international crime. The agency has formally handed over a collection of intercepted stolen luxury vehicles to the Canadian government.

Customs spokesperson Abdullahi Maiwada shared the news in a statement on Sunday, May 10, 2026. He noted that this move is part of Nigeria's ongoing efforts to build international trust in its anti-smuggling and cargo intelligence systems.

The official handover ceremony took place earlier, on Monday, May 4, at the Tin Can Island Port. The Deputy High Commissioner of Canada to Nigeria, Nasser Salihou, was on ground to receive the recovered cars.

Comptroller Frank Onyeka, the Customs Area Controller of the command, presented the vehicles on behalf of the Nigerian government.

This recovery did not happen by chance. It was the result of months of intelligence sharing and deep operational teamwork. The Nigeria Customs Service worked closely with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Canadian authorities had traced the high-end stolen vehicles and discovered they had been smuggled into Nigeria through international shipping routes.

The list of recovered cars reads like a millionaire's garage. Internal Customs documents dated May 5 confirmed the seized vehicles. They included a 2019 Lexus RX350, a 2019 Mercedes-Benz G550, and a 2023 Land Rover Range Rover.

There was also a 2026 Toyota Tundra. The real head-turners, however, were the exotic supercars. The batch included a 2019 Lamborghini Huracán, a 2021 Rolls-Royce Dawn Convertible, and a 2018 Lamborghini Aventador. All these vehicles were confirmed to have been stolen and illegally exported before ending up on Nigerian soil.

Comptroller Onyeka shared an interesting detail about how one of the cars was caught. He revealed that a Toyota Tacoma was hidden inside a container carrying other vehicles. It had not even left Customs control yet when the tip from Canadian authorities came in.

Once the alert was received and shipping documents were checked, Customs officers moved swiftly. They isolated the suspicious container, extracted the hidden vehicle, and placed it under enforcement custody.

Onyeka explained that what looked like a normal cargo shipment quickly turned into an international criminal investigation. As soon as the intelligence landed, his team put the consignment under tight watch.

The Comptroller also explained why the handover process took some time. He said the Customs Service deliberately delayed the final release until Canadian government officials arrived in person.

Some individuals wanted to step in and claim the vehicles on behalf of others. But the Customs Service rejected this outright. Onyeka insisted the handover had to be directly to the Canadian government to keep the process completely transparent and credible.

This operation sends a strong message. It proves that the Nigeria Customs Service has the muscle and the intelligence to fight transnational vehicle theft syndicates. These criminal groups often exploit global shipping routes to move stolen cars across continents.

More importantly, it highlights the growing partnership between Nigeria and Canada. Both countries are now working more closely on intelligence sharing, cargo profiling, and maritime enforcement to tackle organized cross-border crime.