Enugu: Within 4 hours, Police recovers stolen govt vehicle

By Dennis Agbo

Proving that it has regained grip of security architecture in Enugu state, the Enugu Police command on Sunday recovered a stolen hummer bus, belonging to the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project, NEWMAP, within four hours of theft.

The bus which was packed inside the premises of the government agency was stolen at about 1: 30am Sunday morning when rain was falling; making it impossible for the guards on duty to know what robbery was taking place.

Narrating the incident to Vanguard, the State coordinator of NEWMAP, Mr. Vincent Obetta said that he was alerted about the robbrey at about 2:15am by the security men on duty in the office, after which he alerted the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, of Enugu Central Police Station, CPS, Mr. Okey Ambrose and the new state commissioner of Police, Ahmad Abdurrahman.

“They responded immediately and when day broke, they stated making contacts with Anambra state police command. Between 9am and 12pm both commissioners of police were in contact with the Onitsha area command because the vehicle was tracked to show that it was in Obosi.

“At about 3pm the police had spotted the vehicle but said the NEWMAP inscription on it had been removed. Before then, the CPS police had moved to Onitisha and with the assistance of the Anambra Police, the vehicle was recovered but already vandalized by the criminals who apparently were aware that the vehicle was tracked,” Obetta narrated.

The Enugu Branch manager of an Insurance Company, Mr. Aloysius Chukwueze who was among the search team said his company was responsible for tracking the bus since his company insured the bus.

The DPO of Central Police station, Okey Ambrose and the state police spokesman, Ebere Amaraizu confirmed recovery of the bus which was parked at the police station when Vanguard visited the station.

The state NEWMAP coordinator, Obetta said that with the swift recovery, he has become the first beneficiary of the new security architecture in Enugu that was entrenched by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu state.

“I thank Governor Ugwuanyi for the new security architecture, because a vehicle was stolen in Enugu and moved to Anambra and in less than four hours the vehicle was recovered and brought back and we have come to pick the vehicle. I also thank the commissioner of police and the gallant courage of the DPO, Mr. Okey Ambrose,” Obetta appreciated.

– Vanguard