How five-man syndicate drove stolen vehicles from Nigeria to Burkina Faso, sold N10m vehicle for N1m

Five suspects have revealed how a transnational robbery syndicate stole vehicles across Nigeria, transported them through the Republic of Benin and sold them in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso — using forged documents, swapped number plates and ECOWAS free movement provisions to make stolen vehicles untraceable.

As reported by Saturday Tribune, the suspects were arrested in successive operations by the Oyo State Police Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit following a tip-off. Their confessions exposed a sophisticated network where robbers would steal vehicles in states including Kwara and Oyo, hand them to drivers who ferried them to the Seme border, replace Nigerian plates with Francophone country plates, and deliver them to a receiver identified as Mohammed in Burkina Faso.

Revealed roles included Kabiru and Adewale handling field operations, Matthew and Aliu managing cross-border transportation and Akodu coordinating vehicle handovers. All five are ex-prisoners. Approximately 10 robbery victims have volunteered statements to the VCRU. Investigation is ongoing.