FRSC RECOVERS STOLEN TOYOTA CAMRY 11 YEARS AFTER, AS NVIS PROVES CRITICAL IN COMBATING VEHICLE CRIMES

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has recorded another significant operational success in its sustained effort to combat vehicle related crimes, with the recovery of a suspected stolen Toyota Camry at the National Vehicle Identification Scheme (NVIS) Desk Office in Ebonyi State, eleven years after it was reported stolen.

The breakthrough followed a routine verification process on 24th March 2026, when a Motor Licensing Authority (MLA) official from the Board of Internal Revenue presented documents for vehicle registration. In line with standard protocol, the NVIS Desk Officer conducted a thorough check, which flagged discrepancies in the vehicle’s history. Further scrutiny revealed that the vehicle had been previously registered to Mr. Adeka Emmanuel Akoji, who was promptly contacted. He confirmed that the vehicle had been stolen from him in Benue State on 13th August 2015.

The FRSC in a press release issued on Friday and signed by Felicia Kalu, Corps Commander, Ag. Corps Public Education Officer, swiftly acted on the intelligence, notified the Nigeria Police, leading to a coordinated response. On 27th March 2026 at about 1350HRS, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad in Abakaliki successfully recovered the vehicle, marking a decisive breakthrough in inter-agency collaboration against criminal networks.

The recovered vehicle, a Toyota Camry saloon, bore the old registration number MKD659AG but had been re-registered with a new plate number NKE500AE, an indication of attempts to conceal its true identity.

This remarkable recovery is another manifest of the effectiveness of the FRSC’s National Vehicle Identification Scheme (NVIS) in safeguarding vehicle ownership and enhancing national security. The Corps reiterates that the NVIS platform remains a critical tool in tracking, verifying, and recovering stolen vehicles across the country.

The Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps, Shehu Mohammed, commended the professionalism and diligence of the officers involved, as well as the seamless cooperation with the Nigeria Police. He emphasised that the Corps will continue to leverage technology and intelligence driven strategies to rid the nation’s roads of stolen and improperly documented vehicles.

Motorists and stakeholders are therefore advised to always ensure proper documentation and verification of vehicles through the NVIS platform before acquisition or registration, as the Corps intensifies its surveillance and enforcement operations nationwide.