Nigeria: Tinubu orders crackdown on transnational car thieves, cybercriminals

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President Bola Tinubu has ordered a concerted crackdown on individuals involved in the possession and trafficking of stolen vehicles.

He directed key security and law enforcement agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigeria Police Force (NPF), and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), to intensify efforts against such criminal activities.

In a statement released on Sunday by his Special Adviser on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu emphasized Nigeria’s commitment to collaborating with international partners to dismantle cybercriminal networks and organized crime groups engaged in transnational car thefts.

He underscored that one of the most effective ways to fight such crime is by depriving offenders of the proceeds from their illegal activities.

This directive comes in light of the recent recovery of 53 vehicles and $180,300 by the EFCC, which were handed over to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) on behalf of two Canadian citizens defrauded by Nigerian cybercriminals.

Acknowledging this achievement, President Tinubu commended the EFCC for its successful collaboration with international partners in combating this crime.

Expressing concern over the involvement of transnational criminal groups in the exportation of stolen vehicles to Nigeria, Tinubu tasked all relevant agencies, particularly anti-corruption bodies, with safeguarding Nigeria’s economic and financial integrity from organized crime infiltration.

He also stressed the importance of preserving the value of seized and confiscated assets for the benefit of the state, society, and victims, in accordance with existing laws and international conventions.

President Tinubu firmly declared, “Nigeria is not a destination for stolen vehicles and a haven for illicit wealth from foreign countries,” reiterating his administration’s commitment to tackling money laundering, cybercrime, and other financial crimes.