Nigerian Police, repatriated 61-year-old Acar Huseyin, wanted in Turkey for a 14-year fraud sentence, after months on the run across the Middle East area.
Nigerian Police Force has arrested and repatriated a 61-year-old Turkish national who had been on the run for months after fleeing a lengthy fraud conviction in Istanbul. Nigerian authorities said the fugitive, Acar Huseyin, was tracked down in Abuja following a discreet international operation coordinated through INTERPOL.
Huseyin had been sentenced earlier this year by the Istanbul Anadolu High Criminal Court to 14 years, eight months and 10 days in prison. According to Turkish officials, he fled the country shortly after the verdict and spent several months moving across parts of the Middle East before entering Nigeria in an effort to evade capture.
Nigerian police said Huseyin attempted to settle quietly in the country, hoping to remain beyond the reach of authorities. His arrival in Nigeria triggered an international alert after INTERPOL’s National Central Bureau (NCB) in Ankara issued a Red Notice for his arrest in July 2025. The notice requested member states to help track and detain him.
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CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, spokesperson for the Nigeria Police Force, confirmed the arrest and repatriation in a statement issued on Tuesday November 25, 2025. He said the operation was intelligence-led and conducted with minimal visibility to avoid tipping off the fugitive.
According to the police, once Huseyin was located in Abuja, officers carried out a carefully planned operation to take him into custody without incident. Authorities then began the documentation and verification processes required for repatriation under INTERPOL protocols and Nigeria’s international commitments.
Hundeyin said Huseyin has now been formally returned to Istanbul, where Turkish authorities have taken custody of him to begin his prison sentence. He added that Nigeria’s cooperation demonstrates its resolve to support global law-enforcement efforts.
Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun praised the officers involved in the operation, describing it as a clear message that Nigeria will not offer refuge to fugitives, regardless of nationality. He said the country remains committed to strengthening police-to-police cooperation and combating transnational crime through established international channels.
The successful repatriation underscores the growing role of INTERPOL coordination in addressing cross-border criminal activity, particularly in cases involving fugitives who attempt to exploit migration routes to avoid justice. Nigerian police say such partnerships will remain central to their work as security agencies around the world contend with increasingly mobile criminal networks.
