The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), RS5.3 Anambra Sector Command, has recovered a suspected stolen Toyota Corolla found during routine vehicle documentation and verification at the Anambra National Vehicle Identification Scheme (NVIS) Desk Office in Awka.
The vehicle was discovered on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, after a Road Safety officer of the Anambra Internal Revenue Service (AIRS) in Awka attempted to document the vehicle and upload it to the NVIS portal as proof of ownership. During the process, discrepancies were noticed in the chassis number provided.
Preliminary investigation showed that the chassis number had been altered, with the digit “1” changed to the letter “I.” The Motor Licensing Authority (MLA) staff handling the documentation was then instructed to obtain a clear photo of the vehicle’s original chassis identification tag for further verification. When checked against the NVIS database, it was found that the vehicle already had an ownership record.
Further investigation revealed that the vehicle was allegedly stolen after the wife of the registered owner was abducted with the vehicle on October 29, 2022, and the abductors later pushed her out of the vehicle.
Following the discovery, the person who presented the vehicle for documentation, identified as Mr. Onyejiaka Lawrence Onyebuchi, was invited under the pretext of conducting a physical verification with an OBD II diagnostic scanner at Mopol Junction, Agu Awka. Police from the Central Police Station, Awka, were contacted to assist with the verification.
Upon arrival, Mr. Onyejiaka was arrested by police for further investigation. The alleged original owner, Bro. Arinze Obasi, was also contacted and provided relevant ownership documents.
The vehicle dealer who allegedly sold the vehicle to Mr. Onyejiaka was also arrested in connection with the case. The recovered vehicle was parked yesterday, July 28, 2026, at the RS5.3 Anambra Sector Command, while the suspects are in custody at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) of the Central Police Station, Awka, for further investigation and potential prosecution.
Reacting to the developmen, the Sector Commander, Corps Commander Bridget Asekhauno, urged the public to exercise caution when buying used vehicles and to verify all ownership documents and ID details through proper channels before completing any transactions.
The Command also advised reporting suspicious vehicle transactions or suspected day vehicle thefts to the appropriate security agencies.
The Sector Public Education Officer, SRC Margaret B Onabe, in a statement, disclosed that as at the time of this report, the recovered vehicle has been handed over to the Police.
The Federal Road Safety Corps expressed commitment to working with security agencies and stakeholders to fight vehicle-related crimes and prevent the abuse of the National Vehicle Identification Scheme by criminals.
