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The Ogun State Police Command has handed over a recovered 2016 Toyota Camry to its rightful owner, Mr Abhay Singh, an Indian national based at Ilupeju Industrial Estate, Lagos.
According to the command, the handover was done on Thursday, September 24, by the Divisional Police Officer, Ifo Division, CSP Kamorudeen Olabisi, at the Ifo Divisional Police Headquarters, following verification of ownership.
The vehicle was earlier recovered by operatives of Ifo Division in less than eight hours after it was reported stolen, the command said.
In a September 13 statement, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the command, DSP Oluseyi B. Babaseyi, said the car was allegedly stolen on September 9 by the owner’s driver, Waidi Olaide Kolawale, who had been employed only two days earlier.
Kolawale reportedly told his employer he was taking the vehicle to a nearby vulcaniser to fix a tyre but absconded with it.
Following the report, the vehicle was electronically tracked to the Ifo axis.
Babaseyi said the DPO, CSP Olabisi, deployed surveillance and anti-robbery operatives who tracked it through several locations before locating it at a hotel in Ifo at about 8:30 pm.
On sighting the police, Kolawale fled with the ignition key, while his alleged accomplice, Monday Adetunji, was arrested at the scene.
The police said preliminary investigation revealed the suspects had approached a mechanic to remove the vehicle’s catalyst, but the mechanic declined.
The command said efforts were ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspect, while commending the Ifo operatives for their swift, intelligence-led response.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Bode Ojajuni, reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property, and advised vehicle owners to install tracking devices and use additional anti-theft measures.
