The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Anambra State Sector Command, said on Wednesday that it had recovered a suspected stolen Toyota Camry in the industrial and commercial town of Nnewi.
The recovery was made through the Corps’ National Vehicle Identification Scheme (NVIS), which uncovered an alleged attempt to re-register the vehicle using questionable documentation.
It was learnt that the vigilance of the FRSC NVIS Desk Officer at the Driver’s Licence Centre, Nnewi, aided the recovery during the processing of the vehicle registration documents.
The Sector Public Education Officer, Margaret Onabe, said the investigation began on July 31, 2026, when processed vehicle licence documents were presented for upload to the NVIS portal.
According to her, during a routine verification, the officer discovered that the vehicle had already been profiled on the FRSC NVIS database with an existing registered owner.
She said the registered owner, Mr Ndem John Okori, a serving police officer attached to the 55 Squadron Police Mobile Force, Aba, confirmed that the vehicle had been stolen on June 23, 2023, from his residence at Umuajiji Isi-Eke Village, Ibeku Umuahia, Abia State.
She explained that the vehicle was quietly driven out of his compound around midnight during a heavy downpour.
Despite reporting the theft to the police in Umuahia, all efforts to recover the vehicle had proved unsuccessful.
Following the confirmation, the FRSC NVIS Desk Officer alerted the Area Commander of the Nigeria Police Force, Nnewi Area Command, who directed the State Investigation Bureau (SIB) to commence an investigation.
The Motor Licensing Authority (MLA) subsequently invited the agent who submitted the vehicle documents for questioning. Investigators later invited the applicant claiming ownership of the vehicle, who was immediately arrested.
During interrogation, the suspect reportedly led investigators to his residence, where the Toyota Camry was recovered at about 5:06 p.m. on August 4, 2026.
Further investigations revealed that the vehicle bore the registration number FGG851AH, which is not assigned in the FRSC NVIS database, raising strong suspicion that the vehicle had been illegally re-registered or cloned to conceal its true identity.
The recovered vehicle has since been handed over to the Nigeria Police Force Area Command, Nnewi, for further investigation and possible prosecution.
Commending the professionalism of the NVIS personnel, the Anambra State Sector Commander, Corps Commander Bridget Asekhauno, said the successful recovery underscored the effectiveness of the National Vehicle Identification Scheme in combating vehicle theft, identity cloning and related crimes.
She urged members of the public to ensure that all vehicle registration and ownership documents are properly verified through the FRSC NVIS platform.
The command also reminded road users to always call the FRSC toll-free emergency number, 122, in the event of an emergency.