Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Bornet .k
The Gombe State Police Command has returned a Toyota Highlander Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) to its rightful owner, Mrs. Cecilia A. Duru, nearly five years after it was stolen in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, marking a major breakthrough in an investigation that uncovered the vehicle's movement across multiple states and international borders.
The vehicle was officially handed over after operatives of the State Intelligence Department (SID), working alongside officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), detected irregularities during a routine vehicle verification and data upload exercise at the Gombe State Internal Revenue Service's vehicle licensing office on June 8, 2026. The suspicious records prompted investigators to conduct further checks, leading to the discovery that the SUV had been reported stolen several years earlier.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Buhari Abdullahi, preliminary investigations confirmed that the Toyota Highlander, bearing registration number FH823PHC, belonged to Mrs. Cecilia A. Duru, a resident of Akwaka Lane, Rumuodumaya, Port Harcourt, and was stolen on September 17, 2021.
Police investigations revealed that the vehicle had been moved out of Nigeria into the Republic of Niger in 2023 before re-entering the country through Illela Local Government Area of Sokoto State on October 17, 2025. Investigators further established that the SUV was subsequently sold in Kaduna State before being transported to Gombe State, where it was presented for re-registration, leading to its eventual detection.
The successful recovery highlights the growing role of inter-agency collaboration in tackling vehicle theft and transnational crime. Police said the joint verification exercise between the SID and FRSC enabled officers to identify discrepancies in the vehicle's records, ultimately preventing the stolen SUV from being successfully re-registered under a new identity.
Following the recovery, the Gombe State Police Command formally reunited Mrs. Duru with her vehicle, bringing an end to a years-long search for the stolen asset. The command described the recovery as a testament to the effectiveness of intelligence-led policing and enhanced vehicle verification procedures.
DSP Abdullahi said investigations remain ongoing to identify and apprehend all individuals involved in the theft, cross-border movement and illegal sale of the vehicle. He assured the public that those found culpable would be brought to justice as detectives continue to unravel the criminal network behind the operation.
The police also advised Nigerians to exercise caution when purchasing used vehicles by verifying ownership documents and vehicle registration records through the appropriate authorities before completing any transaction. According to the command, due diligence can help prevent unsuspecting buyers from acquiring stolen vehicles and discourage organised vehicle theft syndicates.
The recovery underscores the Nigeria Police Force's continuing efforts to combat vehicle theft, strengthen intelligence-sharing across states, and disrupt criminal networks involved in the illegal trafficking of stolen vehicles within and beyond the country's borders.
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