POLICE PROBE THEFT OF ABIA MAGISTRATE’S VEHICLE
Read Time:1 Minute, 48 Second
By;Sunmola Ganiyat
The Abia State Police Command has launched an investigation and intensified efforts to recover a Toyota Corolla belonging to a Chief Magistrate, which was reportedly stolen outside a court premises in Umuahia, the state capital.
The command also appealed to members of the public to provide any useful information that could aid the recovery of the vehicle and the arrest of those responsible.
Confirming the incident on Wednesday, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Maureen Chinaka, said the case had been formally reported and that detectives were already working to track down the suspects.
According to the vehicle owner, Chief Magistrate Ngozi Pearl Lekwa of Court 2, Umuahia, she parked the black Toyota Corolla along Finbarrs Road outside the court premises at about 9 a.m. on Tuesday before proceeding to her office.
She explained that she intended to spend only a short time at work before leaving for personal engagements. However, when she returned shortly after noon, she discovered that the vehicle had disappeared from where it was parked.
Lekwa said a friend later informed her that she had seen the vehicle being driven away at high speed after leaving the vicinity of Market Square. The witness reportedly observed a man driving the car but did not see the magistrate inside.
Believing the driver may have been running an errand on behalf of the owner, the witness did not raise an alarm, although she considered the speed of the vehicle unusual.
The magistrate stated that she had not authorised anyone to use the car and still had the keys in her possession when the theft was discovered.
She also revealed that she had recently ordered steering locks for her two vehicles as an additional security measure. While one lock had been delivered, the second one intended for the stolen vehicle had not yet arrived before the incident occurred.
The stolen vehicle is described as a black 2008 Toyota Corolla, popularly known as a “bank car.”
Lekwa appealed to the public to remain vigilant and report any sighting of the vehicle or information that could assist security agencies in recovering it and apprehending the suspects.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0