The FCT Command, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), has handed over a Sienna car recovered by the unit command Lugbe Airport road, Abuja to the owner.
The corps’ FCT Sector Commander, Mr Gora Wobin explained that the car was recovered after the unit command observed it was parked under the bridge along Lugbe, airport road for four days.
Speaking during the handing over of the vehicle on Tuesday in Abuja, Wobin said that the stolen car was registered with the new number plate, which helped in identifying the owner of the vehicle.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that the new number plate gives true identity, as information of vehicles registered had been updated on the data system and could help trace stolen vehicles.
Wobin pointed out that investigation had revealed that the Sienna was stolen in front of the owner’s compound at Gwagwalada on June 22, and was found on Oct. 23.
He assured that the FRSC would involve the police for further investigation on the criminals who had stolen the vehicle and ensure they get arrested immediately.
”We are here today for a short ceremony to hand over the vehicle that was recovered by our men along the Lugbe, airport road to the owner.
“I am sure he must have felt he will not see the vehicle again. It was the new number plate that we used in tracing the owner.
“The owner was called to confirm if the vehicle was his own. The owner said he has evidence of a marker on the seat belts and when the officers checked, they confirmed the exact thing he said.
“So I told them to tow the vehicle to the unit command for further investigation.
“Although, it was not enough, so we asked him for his vehicle papers and that was how we were able to verify it was his own, as he was having the new plate number.
“We believe motorists will learn from this short event by getting the new number plate so that when they have issues of stolen cars, we will be able to verify on our data base, because we have everyone’s information on our system,” he said.
Wobin said that the new number plate was the victim’s saving grace, adding that if it were to be the old one, he would not have seen the vehicle again.
He advised members of the public with new vehicles to always register them with the new number plate for security purposes.
“It is advisable for everyone to get the new number plate because the registration completes the circle and automatically that vehicle cannot be registered again in Nigeria,” he added.
While receiving his stolen vehicle, Mr Ibrahim Adekola confirmed that his vehicle was stolen in front of his house at Gwagwalada on June 22, adding that he reported to the Gwagwalada Area Division immediately.
“I woke up that morning to warm up the car and I could not find my car. And since then, we have been searching for the car, but no result, until Oct. 23.
“I was called around 2:30pm from Lugbe FRSC unit command, to ask if I was looking for my car, which is a Sienna and I immediately said yes.
“The Area Corps Commander, Mr Adewale Ameen, asked me to come to the unit command with all the documents and claim my vehicle and here I am today, with my vehicle after four month of searching.
“I did not know that this new plate number they have been advocating for us to take would save my stolen vehicle,” he said.
