INTERPOL's Operation Jackal IV Targets Nigerian Crime Groups

INTERPOL announced the results of Operation Jackal IV, an eight-month initiative that targeted organized crime in West Africa, resulting in 58 arrests and the identification of 263 suspects across 22 countries. The operation, which ran from November 2025 to June 2026, focused on criminal networks like the Black Axe, which originated at the University of Benin in Nigeria in 1977.

This group has been classified as a "mafia-style gang" involved in various crimes, including cybercrime, human trafficking, drug trading, and election fraud. INTERPOL's role included facilitating intelligence sharing, conducting data analysis, supporting arrests, and providing specialized training for money laundering investigations.

The operation highlighted a significant rise in West African crime groups targeting minors, with victims as young as 14 years old. Many cases from Operation Jackal IV remain under active investigation.

Additionally, EFCC chairman Ola Olukoyede disclosed that a religious sect was implicated in laundering money for terrorists in Nigeria.