metro
Customs boss warns car buyers: Nigeria now preferred destination for stolen vehicles
Customs boss warns car buyers: Nigeria now preferred destination for stolen vehicles
The Comptroller General of Customs(CGC), Mr Wale Adeniyi, has lamented that Nigeria has become a preferred destination for internationally stolen vehicles which not only tarnishes Nigeria’s international image but also impacts our economy through substantial revenue losses and increased security spending. The Customs boss said this last Tuesday while handing over 21 exotic cars worth over N1.8 billion to the Canadian Government at the Federal Operation Unit (FOU), in Lagos.
The CGC disclosed that the International Police (INTERPOL) had also identified countries in West Africa as hubs for exotic vehicles stolen from Canada, America and Europe. The CGC revealed that members of the syndicate stole vehicles from foreign countries and subsequently shipped them into Nigeria, using falsified documents. He added the officers were able to recover about 21 exotic cars from the criminal gang, with the aid of the recently established Operations Hot Wheel. Among the exotic vehicles that were handed over include Rolls Royce, Lamborghini Huracan, Mercedes-AMG and Range Rover.
“Operation Hot Wheel consists of officers from the Nigeria Customs Service, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Canadian government,” he said. Adeniyi also revealed that all the 21 vehicles were recovered with the aid of the Canadian Government as well as the EFCC.
“According to INTERPOL reports, West Africa has emerged as a notable destination hub in the global stolen vehicle trade network. This extends from Europe and North America to as far as South America and Australia. This challenge is particularly acute in Nigeria,” he said.
While highlighting data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the CGC said that available data from the bureau showed that between 2013-2015, only 54 per cent of stolen vehicles were recovered.
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He noted that it showed the scale and sophistication of this criminal enterprise.
“The growing incidence of stolen vehicles finding their way into our region has become a matter of serious concern, as it not only undermines our legitimate automotive market but also strains our security infrastructure. Recent intelligence from international law enforcement agencies further confirms that our region has become a preferred destination for internationally stolen vehicles. This is a trend that not only tarnishes Nigeria’s international image but also impacts our economy through substantial revenue losses and increased security spending,” he said.
He added that the economic implications of this criminal enterprise were far-reaching and deeply concerning.
“Beyond damaging our legitimate automotive trade sector and international business relationships, it undermines President Tinubu’s economic reform agenda that aims to position Nigeria as a trusted hub for international commerce. The Service is forced to divert substantial resources towards enhanced border management and rigorous verification processes – resources that should ideally be channelled toward trade facilitation initiatives and economic growth programmes.
“This criminal activity not only strains our operational capacity but also threatens the government’s efforts to attract foreign investment and establish Nigeria as a reliable partner in global trade,” he said.
He said that the NCS, in response to these challenges, gave rise to the initiation of Operation Hot Wheels.
Customs boss warns car buyers: Nigeria now preferred destination for stolen vehicles
metro
Sokoto Officials Deny Mosque Attack as Bandits Kill Five in Gatawa Raid
Sokoto Officials Deny Mosque Attack as Bandits Kill Five in Gatawa Raid
Chairman of Sabon Birni Local Government Area in Sokoto State, Ayuba Hashimu, has dismissed viral reports alleging that bandits attacked a mosque in the council area, killing an Imam and several worshippers.
Some online platforms had circulated claims that armed bandits stormed a mosque in Sabon Birni, murdered the Imam and congregants, and abducted others.
However, Hashimu, speaking by telephone, described the reports as entirely false.
“I don’t know any mosque that was attacked, not to talk of killing of an Imam and worshippers. The story is false,” he stated.
A member of the state legislature representing the area, Hon. Aminu Boza, also debunked the claims, insisting that no mosque attack occurred on Saturday.
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“I don’t know how they got their story, but it is not true. No mosque was attacked by bandits,” he said.
While officials denied the alleged mosque incident, a separate early morning assault on Gatawa town within the same LGA resulted in five deaths and left one person critically injured.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Daily Trust that six people — including two married women, two teenage girls and two young boys — were abducted by attackers suspected to be bandits.
“The bandits invaded our community around 1:30 a.m. and started shooting sporadically. Our vigilantes engaged them, but four of them paid the supreme price on the spot. Two others sustained gunshot injuries and were taken to the hospital, but one later died,” the resident said.
He added that the attackers also stole livestock as they fled.
“We heard them exchanging fire with security agents, but none of the abducted persons was rescued,” he recounted.
Sokoto Officials Deny Mosque Attack as Bandits Kill Five in Gatawa Raid
metro
FG Begins Recovery of 157 Almajiri Schools
FG Begins Recovery of 157 Almajiri Schools
The Federal Government has commenced the official recovery of 157 model Almajiri schools built during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, in a renewed push to overhaul Almajiri education across the country.
The move was confirmed by Nura Muhammad, spokesperson for the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education (NCAOOSCE), during an interview in Abuja on Sunday. He described the recovery process as a crucial step toward fully revamping and institutionalising Almajiri education.
Muhammad explained that the effort follows the establishment of a legally backed national body now responsible for all Almajiri-related programmes — a structure he said was missing during earlier reform attempts.
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While commending former President Jonathan for constructing the schools, which he described as “a noble and well-intentioned stride toward modernising the system,” Muhammad noted that the previous initiative struggled due to weak policy implementation, including inadequate engagement with Alarammas, the traditional Qur’anic teachers who play a central role in the Almajiri system.
He added that the lack of a strong institutional framework — with the project operating only as an initiative under the Federal Ministry of Education — contributed to its challenges.
According to him, the Commission is now strengthened by law and guided by the newly adopted National Policy on Almajiri Education, positioning it to deliver sustainable reforms.
Muhammad expressed confidence that harmful practices linked to the Almajiri system would be addressed, emphasising that all recovered schools would soon be fully under the Commission’s control and rehabilitated to serve their original purpose.
FG Begins Recovery of 157 Almajiri Schools
metro
Delta State Police Arrest Suspects in Killing of Retired Justice Ifeoma Okogwu
Delta State Police Arrest Suspects in Killing of Retired Justice Ifeoma Okogwu
The Delta State Police Command has made a significant breakthrough in the investigation into the murder of retired Justice Ifeoma Okogwu in Anambra State, arresting key suspects linked to the case.
Spokesperson SP Bright Edafe disclosed on Sunday that operatives of the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), acting on credible intelligence, apprehended 25-year-old security guard Godwin Mngumi on 6 December 2025. Mngumi allegedly murdered the retired judge, and authorities also recovered the deceased’s mobile phone from him.
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According to Edafe, Mngumi confessed to inviting a friend, Nnaji Obalum, and another accomplice — who remains at large — to the residence where the crime was committed. Obalum has since been arrested, while a manhunt continues for the third suspect.
The arrests mark a major step forward in the effort to bring all perpetrators of the high-profile murder to justice.
Delta State Police Arrest Suspects in Killing of Retired Justice Ifeoma Okogwu
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