ionigeria.com Nigerian Newspaper
A senior staff of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Mrs. Sarah Garba has admitted being in possession and selling a stolen car. She however claimed that the car was given to her by an Investigating Police Officer (IPO) in place of her own stolen car.
Mrs. Garba who works in the audit department of the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja, responsible for auditing the accounts of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) is alleged to be using her relationship with the Police to forestall the return of the stolen car to the rightful owner and inflicting fear on members of the Edo state Police command.
However, the Zone 5 Police Public Relations Officer,(PPRO), DSP Iheanacho Emeka told ionigeria.com that the issue is still under investigation and promised that investigations will soon be concluded.
“We are looking at the issue objectively to ascertain the rightful owner of the vehicle” he said.
According to ionigeria.com investigations, the case involves a Toyota Camry Voltron Saloon car with registration number AUC 172 AA which was snatched at gun point by a gang of armed robbers along Benin/Sapele road near the popular Santana market, sometime in April, 2012 and reported to the Etete Division Police headquarter in Benin City.
However, on March 21st 2017 the Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC), recovered the stolen vehicle using their online vehicle tracking system which traced the car to a Benin based medical doctor (name withheld) who had unknowingly bought the stolen car from a dealer stand opposite University of Benin main gate in Ugbowo Benin City.
The medical doctor led a team of policemen to the car dealer stand from where he purchased the car and the dealer admitted selling the car to him at the sum of N1, 800,000.00.
The car dealer further led the policemen to another dealer along Benin/Sapele road, Benin City close to the area where the vehicle was snatched in 2012.
He was arrested and later referred by policemen attached to the Board of Internal Revenue in Benin City to the New Etete divisional police headquarters where the matter was originally reported.
Our investigations further revealed that at the police divisional headquarter, the dealer confessed to have gotten transfer of ownership from Mrs. Sarah Garba and subsequently gave the police her phone number.
According to one of our sources, a call was put across to Mrs. Garba who at the time had relocated to Abuja on transfer and upon interrogation, Mrs Garba allegedly confessed to selling the vehicle to the dealer while explaining that sometime in 2012 she bought a similar Toyota Camry car which was snatched at gun point at Etete area of Benin City.
She further explained that she reported the case to the police headquarters after which she financed a police investigation in June, 2012 which led to the recovery of a stolen Toyota Camry Voltron in Kaduna state.
Upon recovery, the Edo State police Command’s Investigating Police Officer (IPO) brought the said car to Benin City and subsequently invited Mrs. Garba for identification.
According to her, on sighting the car at the police headquarters in Benin, she observed that the colour and interior were totally different from that of her stolen car. While her car had fabric interior, the one brought by the Police had leather seats.
The source alleged that despite the difference in features noticed by her, the IPO allegedly convinced her to accept the car by stating that armed robbers usually change the colour and interiors of stolen cars. She then accepted the car and resold it to the car dealer.
Surprisingly, Mrs. Garba claimed that she does not have the original or photo-copies of the documents of her allegedly stolen vehicle, claiming that the original and photo-copies were in her car when it was snatched. She has also not been able to take the Police to the car dealer who sold the car to her
The source expressed concern that instead of Mrs. Garba being prosecuted for accepting and selling a car that isn’t hers by the Edo State Police Command and the car released to the rightful owner; she is being pampered by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Edo state.
“As if that is not enough favoritism, she also dictates to the investigating Police officers the days that she will be available for interrogation”, the source revealed.
Despite the fact that investigation has revealed that the recovered car does not belong to Mrs. Garba, the police are still finding it difficult to allow the rule of law to take its cause.
According to another source, Mrs. Garba has been using her official influence within the Police force to forestall further police action on the case while maintaining that until her purported stolen vehicle is recovered by the police; the already recovered one should not be released to the owner.
We learnt that at a point she even threatened to transfer the case to Abuja where she claimed she has more influence and advantage.
DSP Iheanacho Emeka, however denied allegation of conspiracy and favoritism by men of the Edo State Police command.
What is this ? A messy affair or should I say …a peculiar mess… a la late Chief Adegoke Adelabu( Penkele Mesi ) .A Police Auditor collected illegally a stolen vehicle from the Investigating Police Officer in a case under investigation. She thereafter sold the vehicle to another person. The rightful owner of the vehicle now demands that the vehicle be returned to him . Perhaps, the Police Auditor has lost track of the person to whom she sold the vehicle.
First of all, the investigating Police Officer who released the vehicle to the woman is guilty of theft of an exhibit. He and whoever gave him an authority to release the vehicle to the woman are guilty of theft. Secondly, is the woman covered under any law to receive such property knowing full well that the vehicle does not belong to the I.P.O ? NO. She is a receiver of a stolen good. That she does know that the vehicle is a stolen vehicle ( stolen by the I.P.O ) is not enough to exculpate her from being found guilty as ignorance is no excuse in law. Both the Police Auditor and the I.P.O and in fact any other person who had a hand in the release of the vehicle to the woman should be prosecuted for theft in a court of appropriate jurisdiction. The woman should be prepared to produce the vehicle and give it to the Police for onward transmission to the rightful owner otherwise she should be prepared to pay the full cost of a brand new car. Both the woman and the I.P.O and any policeman involved in the theft are liable for dismissal with ignominy from the Service .
Co….ur……….t!!!!!!
My friend very simple’ they should provide the car within 72hrs
Hmmmmmmmmm !.
@Fakorede d same applicable to d buyer [I mean 3rd suspect].
Why has a proper report not been made against her if this post is real?.
I don’t think you have read the story. Even the Police PPRO has stated the case is being investigated. I don’t therefore know what you mean by a proper report
Hmmmm if your information is not true journalist you will be arrest soon and charge for blackmailing
That was what the police did to me too
Where did you report, gossiper man. Aproco
hmmmmm pls tell me where to report, u should be a police thief
Pls. Speak out louder, perhaps your help is near.
Thanks sir, it happened in SARS Enugu in August 16, 2011
I know all their names from the I p o to the supol
And what did you do ?
to get your own correct car back don’t say you went home to drink cold water and sleep with all this daily noise from e asthern Nigeria ?
if that is what you did then you are a big disappointment a real mugu by all standard ¡
Ojo u think so? let it not happen to u, or I suppose u are a police man, who is a coward now, u that never show ur photo or identity
While my case was in court they repainted my car, collected the original documents from me nd sold it in the name of auction
My i p o said if I asked for the car that he will give me armed robbery and murder case nd throw me into prison for the rest of my life
I hereby confirm that no Mrs garba has ever worked or existed in the Audit department of Edo state police command within the period. Please kindly verify your facts before casting aspersions on the social media.
Why don’t you find out from the Police. The name of PPRO in Zone 5 was mentioned. Call him and find out
Did you read the post well? The post stated that she works for the federal police audit department not Edo state please.
Mr John please there is no office as federal police Audit department operating in Edo state or any state of the federation. I still insist you verify your information.
What is happening in this country self?
Criminals
Abracadabra republic.
Na so cases discharged cars belongs to np.
This sure is a new one how could the police be replacing a stolen stolen car either with another stolen one or not a stolen car ?
There must be more to this .
Mrs Garba works in the audit dept in the Federal Ministry of Finance- I’m charge of auditing police account. This Nigeria sha
No smoke without fire with Nigerian police such is not impossible