The Gombe State Police Command has recovered a Toyota Highlander allegedly stolen in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, nearly five years after it disappeared, following a routine vehicle verification exercise in Gombe.
The Command said the breakthrough was recorded on June 8, 2026, when operatives of the State Intelligence Department (SID), working in collaboration with officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) at the Gombe State Internal Revenue Service Licence Office, uncovered discrepancies during a vehicle data verification and upload exercise.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Buhari Abdullahi, the vehicle, a Toyota Highlander with registration number FH823PHC, engine number 1MZ-11433787, and chassis number JTEGF21AX30073604, was suspected to have been stolen.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the vehicle belongs to Mrs. Cecilia A. Duru of Akwaka Lane, Rumuodumaya, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and was stolen on September 17, 2021,” Abdullahi said in a statement issued on 𝚂𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚍𝚊𝚢.
The police spokesman disclosed that investigations traced the movement of the vehicle beyond Nigeria’s borders.
“Further investigation traced the movement of the vehicle to the Niger Republic in 2023. It was subsequently brought back into Nigeria through Illela Local Government Area of Sokoto State on October 17, 2025, after which it was reportedly sold in Kaduna State before eventually being brought to Gombe State for re-registration,” he said.
Abdullahi noted that efforts were ongoing to identify and arrest all those connected with the alleged theft and movement of the vehicle across states and international borders.
“Investigation is ongoing, as efforts are being intensified to identify and apprehend those involved. Further developments will be communicated in due course,” he stated.
The Command reassured residents of its commitment to safeguarding lives and property, while urging prospective vehicle buyers to verify ownership documents and vehicle records through relevant authorities before completing any transaction.
“The Command assures members of the public of its commitment to protecting lives and property and urges citizens to exercise due diligence when purchasing vehicles by verifying ownership documents and vehicle records through appropriate authorities,” the statement added.
