Court orders forfeiture of 20 stolen cars from Canada

The Federal High Court sitting in the Ikoyi area of Lagos State has ordered the final forfeiture of 20 cars stolen from Canada to Nigeria.

The stolen cars are forfeited to the federal government.

The presiding judge, Justice Deinde Dipeolu, gave the order following a motion on notice filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday, July 15, 2024.

Justice Dipeolu had, on May 27, ordered the interim forfeiture of the cars and also directed the publication of the order in any national newspaper for any interested person to appear before the court and show cause why it should not be finally forfeited.

At the sitting on Monday, the EFCC, through its counsel, R.A. Abdulrasheed, told the court that the commission had complied with the order of the court regarding the publication.

Moving the motion for the final forfeiture order, Abdulrasheed told the court that the application was supported with a 17-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Olufemi Olukini, an investigator with the EFCC, and a written address.

The EFCC, in the affidavit, stated: “Sometime in April 2022, during an official meeting held at 7A Okoti-Eboh Street, Ikoyi Lagos between officials of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCM) and Lagos Zonal Command of EFCC officials passed a credible intelligence to the Commission which alleged: That over 350 vehicles, which were comprehensively listed out on an excel sheet with their respective vehicle identification Number (VIN), were stolen from various locations in Canada and shipped to Nigeria.

“That these vehicles have been sold and/or being sold on an online website www.ii.com by some online vendors/agents,while others are displayed for sale at various car stands across the country.

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“The cars are listed in a comprehensive Excel sheet alongside some pictures and information on them. And that some of these vehicles are intercepted at the point of entry into Nigeria at Tincan Island port, Lagos.

“That our team commenced preliminary investigation into the case by identifying the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of each of the said stolen vehicles and subjecting them to analysis using Open Source Intelligence (OSINT).

“That preliminary results from the analysis revealed the vehicles were largely located across Lagos State metropolis, particularly Lekki at different car stands and places and the Nigerian ports pending clearance into the country. And that surveillance was, thereafter, carried out on the identified locations followed by sting operations which led to the physical location and identification of these vehicles.”

The EFCC further noted that an investigation carried out revealed that the cars were stolen from Canada and shipped to Nigeria between March and June 2022.

The anti-graft agency added that most of the stolen cars were insured and the insurance companies involved had indemnified the owners of the vehicles.

Justice Dipeolu, after listening to the submissions by Abdulrasheed, ordered the final forfeiture of the cars.

The Star