Stolen in Rivers, Smuggled To Niger Republic, Recovered In Gombe: Police Return SUV to Owner 5 Years Later

The Gombe State Police Command has handed over a recovered Toyota Highlander SUV to its rightful owner, Mrs Cecilia A. Duru, nearly five years after it was stolen from Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

In a statement, the Command’s PRO, DSP Buhari Abdullahi, said the SUV was recovered on June 8, 2026, by operatives of the State Intelligence Department (SID) in collaboration with officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

He said the vehicle was intercepted during a routine data verification exercise at the Gombe State Internal Revenue Service Vehicle Licensing Office while being processed for reregistration.

The police stated that investigations revealed the Toyota Highlander was stolen in Rivers State on September 17, 2021, before being smuggled into the neighboring Republic of Niger in 2023.

“It later re-entered Nigeria through Illela, Sokoto State, in October 2025, before it was sold in Kaduna State and eventually brought to Gombe for re-registration, where it was intercepted,” the police said in a statement.

The command added that investigations into the circumstances surrounding the theft and movement of the vehicle across different locations are still ongoing.

“While efforts continue to unravel those behind the theft and illegal movement of the vehicle, the command is pleased to hand over the recovered Toyota Highlander to its rightful owner today, July 24, 2026,” the police said.

While advising prospective vehicle buyers to verify the authenticity of ownership documents before purchasing any vehicle, the police urged members of the public to report suspicious transactions promptly to security agencies.

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