Published by Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
UMUAHIA, Nigeria – A black Toyota Corolla belonging to Chief Magistrate Mrs. Ngozi Pearl Lekwa of Court 2, Umuahia, was stolen in brazen daylight from where it was parked directly outside the court premises along Finbarrs Road on Tuesday, June 9, 2026. The magistrate had parked the vehicle, registration number AA 579 NBB, at about 9:00 a.m. before entering the court for her official duties. She told police that she had intended to step out later in the day to run personal errands, but when she came out shortly after noon, the car was gone.
A friend later told Mrs. Lekwa that she had seen the Toyota Corolla being driven at high speed after leaving the vicinity, heading towards the Bende Road axis. The witness noticed a man behind the wheel but did not see the magistrate in the car; she initially assumed the driver had been sent on an errand by the owner and therefore did not raise an alarm, though she later admitted the speed of the vehicle struck her as unusual. The magistrate stated that she had not authorised anyone to use the vehicle and that she still had the car key in her possession when she discovered the theft.
In a bitterly ironic twist, Mrs. Lekwa disclosed that she had ordered steering locks for her two vehicles only a day before the incident. One lock was delivered, but the second lock – intended for the stolen Corolla – had not yet arrived when the theft occurred. The stolen vehicle is a 2008 model black Toyota Corolla, sometimes called a “bank car.” Its chassis number is JTDR22E1D0247899, and its engine number is 2565542.
The Abia State Police Command confirmed that the case had been formally reported and that investigations are ongoing. The Police Public Relations Officer for the state, DSP Maureen Chinaka, urged anyone with useful information to come forward and assist in recovering the vehicle and arresting those responsible. The command assured the public that the matter is being treated with the seriousness it deserves and appealed for vigilance, particularly on the Bende Road axis where the stolen car was last seen heading.
As of Friday, June 12, the vehicle had not been recovered, and no arrests had been made. A police source told Stone Reporters that the search is still on.
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