By our Reporter
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has recorded another significant breakthrough in its ongoing efforts to strengthen national security through the National Vehicle Identification Scheme (NVIS), leading to the recovery of a suspected stolen Toyota Camry nearly three years after it was reported missing.
The recovery was made on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, at the Nnewi Motor Licensing Authority (MLA) Office in Anambra State, where an FRSC NVIS Desk Officer detected discrepancies while processing a routine vehicle licence application.
According to the Corps, a verification on the National Vehicle Identification Scheme portal revealed that the vehicle already had an existing registration profile in the FRSC database, prompting further investigation.
The registered owner of the vehicle, Mr. Ndem John Okori, a serving officer of the Nigeria Police Force attached to the 55 Police Mobile Force Squadron, Aba, was immediately contacted. He confirmed that the Toyota Camry had been stolen from his residence at Ibeku, Umuahia, Abia State, on June 23, 2023, during a heavy downpour.
Okori disclosed that although the theft was promptly reported to the Police, the vehicle had remained unrecovered until the latest development.
Following confirmation that the vehicle had been reported stolen, the FRSC alerted the Nigeria Police Force Area Command in Nnewi, prompting the immediate deployment of operatives of the State Intelligence Bureau (SIB) to commence investigation.
During the operation, the vehicle registration agent who submitted the application documents was invited for questioning. Intelligence obtained from the agent led to the arrest of the applicant when he arrived to collect the processed vehicle documents.
The suspect subsequently led Police investigators and FRSC officials to his residence, where the suspected stolen Toyota Camry was recovered at about 5:06 p.m. on August 4.
The recovered vehicle has since been taken into the custody of the Nigeria Police Force Area Command, Nnewi, for further investigation and possible prosecution.
Further checks by the FRSC also revealed that the vehicle bore registration number FGG851AH, a number plate that does not exist in the National Vehicle Identification Scheme database, exposing an attempt to conceal the vehicle’s identity through the use of a fake registration number.
The recovered vehicle was identified with its original registration details as AKD291CZ, a gold Toyota Camry saloon with chassis number JT2BG22K0X0264403 and engine number 5S0793688.
Reacting to the development, the Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, commended the vigilance, professionalism and intelligence of the FRSC personnel whose diligence led to the recovery.
He said the successful operation underscores the strategic importance of the National Vehicle Identification Scheme in combating vehicle theft, detecting fraudulent vehicle documentation, enhancing national security and supporting law enforcement agencies in tracking stolen vehicles across the country.
The Corps Marshal also urged Nigerians to verify the status of vehicles before purchase and ensure that all vehicle registration and ownership transactions are carried out through legitimate channels.
He reaffirmed the Corps’ commitment to strengthening inter-agency collaboration and leveraging technology to eliminate criminal activities associated with stolen vehicles and fake registration records on Nigerian roads.
