(By Desire Emmanuel): A Toyota Camry car that was stolen eleven years ago in 2015 and which is now carrying new number plate has been recovered by the operatives of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).
The FRSC announced the development in a statement on Saturday, March 28, by its acting Corps Public Education Officer, Mrs Felicia Kalu, in Abuja
The corps stated that the recovery after the car was stolen eleven years ago followed a routine verification at the National Vehicle Identification Scheme (NVIS) Desk Office that took place on Tuesday, March 24.
Kalu said that an official of the Motor Licensing Authority (MLA) from the Board of Internal Revenue had presented documents for vehicle registration, prompting the NVIS Desk Officer to carry out standard verification procedures.
She said that the check revealed discrepancies in the vehicle’s records, which upon further scrutiny showed that it was originally registered to Mr. Adeka Akoji.
“The original owner was immediately contacted and he confirmed that the vehicle was stolen from him in Benue State on August 13, 2015.
“Acting on the information, the FRSC alerted the Nigeria Police, leading to a coordinated operation.
“Operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, subsequently recovered the vehicle on Friday, March 27, around 1:50 p.m.
“The vehicle, a Toyota Camry, was found to have been re-registered with a new number plate, NKE500AE, after bearing its original registration number, MKD659AG, in an apparent attempt to conceal its identity,” she said.
Reacting to the development, the Corps Marshal, Mr Shehu Mohammed, described the recovery as a testament to the effectiveness of the NVIS in safeguarding vehicle ownership and enhancing national security.
Mohammed said that the scheme remained a critical tool for tracking, verifying and recovering stolen vehicles nationwide.
The FRSC boss commended the professionalism of the officers involved and lauded the synergy between the Corps and the Nigeria Police.
He reaffirmed the Corps’ commitment to deploying technology and intelligence-driven strategies to rid the nation’s roads of stolen and improperly documented vehicles.
Mohammed also advised motorists and stakeholders to ensure proper documentation and verification of vehicles through the NVIS platform before acquisition or registration.
