The Anambra State Police Command has arrested two men and recovered a Toyota Camry allegedly stolen from the residence of a 90-year-old retired professor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State.
The suspects, identified as 32-year-old Umeh Thankgod and 24-year-old Sunday Ozor, were arrested on October 28, 2026, at the Old Spare Parts Market, Mgbuka, Obosi.
The police said their arrest followed a distress alert from operatives of the Federal Road Safety Corps who discovered irregularities while verifying the vehicle’s registration documents in Awka.
The command’s spokesperson, Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday.
According to Ikenga, the FRSC personnel promptly alerted the police after noticing discrepancies in the vehicle’s registration particulars, leading to the intervention of operatives attached to the State Intelligence Department.
He said, “Preliminary information indicates that FRSC operatives in Awka detected irregularities during the verification of the vehicle’s registration particulars and promptly alerted the police for necessary intervention.
“Acting on the information, police operatives swiftly intervened, leading to the arrest of the two suspects and recovery of the vehicle.”
Ikenga explained that preliminary investigations traced the vehicle to an incident on September 29, 2026, when it was allegedly stolen from the retired professor’s residence.
He added that the victim had been contacted and had identified the recovered blue Toyota Camry as his property.
The police spokesperson further revealed that the victim suspected the involvement of his gateman, identified as Bassey Etim, who allegedly assisted in removing the vehicle from the compound.
Etim, however, is currently at large.
Ikenga said efforts were ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspect and uncover the full circumstances surrounding the theft.
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, Nnanna Ama, commended the FRSC operatives for their alertness and prompt response.
Ama stressed the importance of cooperation among security agencies, noting that timely intelligence sharing and coordinated operations were crucial to crime prevention, the recovery of stolen property and public safety.
The latest arrests come amid intensified security operations across identified flashpoints and suspected criminal hideouts in Anambra State.
The command said the operations were designed to dismantle criminal networks, deny offenders safe havens and curb kidnapping, armed robbery and other violent crimes.
