The Nigeria Customs Service has handed over several stolen luxury vehicles traced to Canada in a move to strengthen international confidence in Nigeria’s anti-smuggling and cargo intelligence systems.
The handover took place at Tin Can Island Port, where Deputy High Commissioner of Canada to Nigeria Nasser Salihou received the vehicles from Customs Area Controller Comptroller Frank Onyeka.
The recovery was sequel to months of intelligence sharing between the NCS and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Canadian authorities had traced high-end vehicles believed to have been smuggled into Nigeria through international shipping channels.
An internal Customs document dated May 5, 2026, listed the intercepted vehicles as a 2019 Lexus RX350, 2019 Mercedes-Benz G550, 2023 Land Rover Range Rover, 2019 Lamborghini Huracán, 2021 Rolls-Royce Dawn Convertible, 2018 Lamborghini Aventador, and a 2026 Toyota Tundra.
All were confirmed stolen and illegally exported before ending up in Nigeria.
Comptroller Onyeka said one vehicle, a Toyota Tacoma, was found concealed inside a container carrying other cars and had not exited Customs control before Canadian intelligence triggered intervention.
“Once the alert was received and shipping documentation transmitted, officers isolated the suspicious consignment, extracted the affected vehicle, and placed it under enforcement custody pending diplomatic verification,” he said.
He added that Customs delayed final release until Canadian officials arrived in person to complete identification and recovery procedures.
“We insisted the handover must be directly to the Canadian government to preserve the integrity of the process,” Onyeka said.
He said the operation demonstrated NCS’s capacity to tackle transnational vehicle theft syndicates that exploit global shipping routes.
The recovery also highlighted ongoing cooperation between Nigeria and Canada in intelligence sharing, cargo profiling, and maritime enforcement against cross-border crimes involving stolen assets and illicit trade.
