On Monday, July 15, 2024, Justice Deinde I. Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi mandated the final forfeiture of 20 luxury cars stolen from Canada to Nigeria. These vehicles are now under the ownership of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The ruling followed a motion filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The forfeited cars include a variety of high-end models such as Black SUV 400, White 4MATIC Mercedes-Benz, SUV MDX SH-AWD Acura, Grey SUV RS 350L Lexus, Deep Blue SUV RX 350 Lexus, and several Toyota Highlanders and Lexus RX 350s.
Initially, on May 27, 2024, Justice Dipeolu ordered the interim forfeiture of the cars, requiring the publication of the order in national newspapers to allow any interested parties to contest the forfeiture. At the hearing, the EFCC, represented by counsel R.A. Abdulrasheed, confirmed compliance with the publication requirement.
The motion for the final forfeiture was supported by a 17-paragraph affidavit from EFCC investigator Olufemi Olukini. The affidavit revealed that in April 2022, a meeting between officials of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Lagos Zonal Command of the EFCC provided intelligence on over 350 vehicles stolen from Canada and shipped to Nigeria. These vehicles were listed with their Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) on an excel sheet.
Preliminary investigations using Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) located many of the stolen vehicles across Lagos, leading to sting operations that identified and recovered 40 vehicles initially. Further investigations uncovered additional vehicles, culminating in the present suit.
The affidavit detailed that most of the stolen vehicles were insured, and insurance companies had compensated the original owners. Consequently, these companies delegated their interests to the RCMP liaison officer in Nigeria to pursue claims.
Justice Dipeolu’s final order authorized the Canadian Deputy High Commission in Nigeria to dispose of the forfeited vehicles through sale or return to the victims, with a statutory two per cent remittance from the proceeds to the EFCC Recovery Account.
