Nigeria Police Say Fake Truckers Stole US$15 Million of Imported Cargo

Nigeria · EXPAT

Police in Nigeria’s commercial capital say a gang posing as truckers stole imported cargo from the port for 19 years. The alleged losses exceed US$15 million.

Police in Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city and business hub, have arrested six people in a Lagos goods diversion case involving imported cargo. The gang allegedly posed as hauliers, collected goods at the port and sold them instead of delivering them.

Nigeria, with about 238 million people, imports much of what it consumes, and most of it arrives through Lagos. Police say this one group diverted goods worth more than N20 billion (about US$15 million) over 19 years.

All naira figures here are converted at the 27 September 2026 rate of about 1,329 naira per US dollar (open.er-api.com). The naira was far stronger for most of those 19 years, so the losses in dollars at the time were larger.

Who was arrested and who confirmed it

The Lagos State Police Command, the state branch of the federal Nigeria Police Force, made the arrests through its Anti-Kidnapping Unit. The unit acted after importers complained that consignments collected at Apapa Port had vanished.

The command’s spokesperson, Superintendent of Police (SP) Abimbola Adebisi, confirmed the arrests and called them a major breakthrough. Adebisi said the investigation was ongoing and that officers were hunting other members of the group.

Police named the six suspects as Jamiu Lateef, Abubakar Amadu, Aliu Olanshile, Opeyemi Oyewale, Hassana Malami and Hassana Haruna. Lateef and Amadu, who is 45, are described as the alleged leaders.

The arrests were first reported on Saturday 26 September by the Nigerian newspapers The Sun, Vanguard and Blueprint. None of the suspects has yet been charged in court, according to those reports.

How the alleged scheme worked

A police source told reporters the gang hung around the Lagos ports looking for importers who needed trucks. Many consignments travel hundreds of kilometres to the north and east of the country.

“They also join WhatsApp platforms of different transporters and transportation companies at the port, where transportation needs are advertised,” the source said. Once hired, they allegedly disappeared with the goods and changed phones and SIM cards.

Officers recovered 11 mobile phones and eight SIM cards from Amadu, the source said. He had allegedly been caught in 2023 with 49 phones and 188 SIM cards.

The latest alleged theft

In the latest case, the gang allegedly agreed to truck forklifts, fabrics and imported plates to Kano, in northern Nigeria. The cargo was worth about N3 billion (about US$2.3 million).

Instead, police say, the goods were taken to Ojota, a district of Lagos, where they were unloaded and sold to buyers. Lateef reportedly admitted the diversion during questioning.

The suspects also allegedly told the importer their truck had broken down in Mokwa, a town in Niger State. They then collected money from him for repairs that were never needed.

Detectives traced some of the fabrics to a market in Agege, in northern Lagos, where the importer identified them. That led to the arrest of alleged receivers, drivers and the two leaders.

Repeat offenders and cross-border assets

Police sources say several members had been prosecuted before for goods diversion. Four of them, including both alleged leaders, were released from prison in February 2026, and some drivers followed two months later.

“Because it is a bailable offence, they return to the crime whenever they are released from prison,” the source told The Sun. The source said a second large diversion gang operates from Kaduna, in the north.

Amadu reportedly told investigators he began diverting goods with Lateef about 19 years ago, after they met as truck drivers. He allegedly has investments in Niger Republic, Nigeria’s northern neighbour.

Lateef, from Ibadan in Oyo State, reportedly said he travels often to the Republic of Benin, where he allegedly has investments. Benin borders Lagos State to the west.

Why cargo theft matters to foreign firms

For companies shipping into Nigeria, the risk usually sits after the port gate, not at sea. Once goods clear customs, many importers rely on private truck operators they find through brokers or chat groups.

That handover is where this gang allegedly struck. A stolen consignment can halt a factory, break a supply contract or trigger a long insurance claim.

The case also shows why a single police bust rarely ends the problem. The group allegedly returned to work within months of leaving prison, and a second gang is said to be active.

What importers can do

Logistics advisers in Nigeria commonly recommend using registered hauliers with verifiable offices and fleet records. Paying the balance only on confirmed delivery removes some of the incentive to vanish.

GPS trackers on trucks or containers, and a named contact at each stop, make a diversion much harder to hide. Any sudden “breakdown” request for cash should be checked before money moves.

Foreign firms can also require cargo insurance that covers inland transit, not only the sea voyage. It is worth checking whether the policy excludes theft by the hired carrier.

What happens next

Police say they are working to catch other suspected members and recover goods from earlier diversions. Adebisi did not give a date for the suspects to appear in court.

The key test is whether prosecutors secure convictions that stick this time. Any move to trace assets in Niger or Benin would need cooperation from those governments.

For now, this Lagos goods diversion case is a reminder that Nigeria’s trade risk often lies on the road from the port. Importers should treat that leg as the weakest link.

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