The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has announced the recovery of a suspected stolen Toyota Camry in Ebonyi State, more than 11 years after it was reported missing, marking a significant achievement in the fight against vehicle- related crime.
According to a statement released on Saturday in Abuja by the Acting Corps Public Education Officer, Felicia Kalu, the vehicle's recovery took place during routine checks at the National Vehicle Identification Scheme Desk Office on Tuesday.
Kalu explained that an official from the Motor Licensing Authority submitted documents for vehicle registration, prompting the vehicle identification officer to conduct standard verification.
During the verification process, discrepancies in the vehicle's registration records were detected, leading to the discovery that it had originally been registered to a man named Adeka Akoji.
“The original owner was promptly contacted and confirmed that the vehicle had been stolen from him in Benue State on August 13, 2015,” Kalu stated. Following this revelation, the FRSC notified the Nigeria Police to initiate a coordinated recovery operation.
The vehicle was located by the Anti-Kidnapping Squad operatives in Abakaliki on March 27, 2026, around 1:50 p.m. They discovered that the Toyota Camry had been fraudulently re-registered with a new license plate number, NKE500AE, despite its original plate number being MKD659AG, indicating an effort to mask its identity.
In response to this successful recovery, Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed hailed the operation as evidence of the National Vehicle Identification Scheme's efficacy in securing vehicle ownership and boosting national security. He emphasized the scheme's crucial role in tracking, verifying, and recovering stolen vehicles throughout the country.
Mohammed commended the professionalism of the officers involved and highlighted the collaborative efforts between the FRSC and the Nigeria Police. He reiterated the Corps' dedication to utilizing technology and intelligence- driven methods to eliminate stolen and improperly documented vehicles from the nation's roads. The Corps Marshal also urged motorists and relevant stakeholders to ensure that vehicles are appropriately documented and verified through the National Vehicle Identification Scheme prior to registration or acquisition, promising that the FRSC would continue its extensive surveillance and enforcement activities nationwide.
Comments (0)
You must be logged in to comment.
Be the first to comment on this article!