The Gombe State Police Command has recovered a Toyota Highlander vehicle stolen in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, nearly five years ago.
The vehicle was intercepted during a routine verification exercise conducted by operatives of the State Intelligence Department (SID) in collaboration with officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) at the Gombe State Internal Revenue Service’s vehicle licensing office.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Buhari Abdullahi, said the vehicle, bearing registration number FH823PHC, was detected on June 8, 2026, while officials were carrying out vehicle data verification and upload.
According to him, preliminary investigations established that the Toyota Highlander belongs to Mrs. Cecilia A. Duru of Rumuodumaya, Port Harcourt, and was reported stolen on September 17, 2021.
“The investigation further revealed that the vehicle was moved to the Niger Republic in 2023 before being brought back into Nigeria through Illela Local Government Area of Sokoto State on October 17, 2025,” the statement said.
Police findings showed that the vehicle was subsequently sold in Kaduna State before it was taken to Gombe for re-registration, where its suspicious records were uncovered.
The command said efforts were ongoing to trace and arrest those involved in the theft, cross-border movement and sale of the vehicle.
DSP Abdullahi reaffirmed the commitment of the police to combating vehicle theft and other crimes, urging members of the public to verify ownership documents and vehicle records before purchasing used vehicles.
He added that the command would continue to deploy intelligence-driven strategies to safeguard lives and property and ensure stolen assets are recovered.
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