The Abia State Police Command has launched an investigation following the theft of a Toyota Corolla belonging to a Chief Magistrate from outside a court premises in Umuahia, the state capital .
Confirming the incident on Wednesday, the command’s spokesperson, DSP Maureen Chinaka, said the case has been reported and that investigations are ongoing to recover the vehicle and apprehend those responsible .
“We are treating the matter with the seriousness it deserves,” she said, urging anyone with useful information to assist the investigation .
According to the owner, Chief Magistrate Mrs. Ngozi Pearl Lekwa of Court 2, Umuahia, she parked the black Toyota Corolla (2008 model) outside the court along Finbarrs Road at about 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday before proceeding to her office for official duties .
When she stepped out shortly after noon, she discovered the vehicle was gone .
A friend later informed her that she had seen the vehicle being driven at high speed toward the Bende Road axis by an unidentified man . The witness initially assumed the driver had been sent on an errand by the magistrate and did not raise an alarm .
Mrs. Lekwa stated that she had not authorized anyone to use the vehicle and still had the car key in her possession . In a twist of irony, she disclosed that she had ordered steering locks for her two vehicles just a day earlier, but the lock intended for the stolen car had not yet arrived before the incident occurred .
The stolen vehicle is a black Toyota Corolla, 2008 model, with registration number AA579NBB .
This incident follows a recent pattern of car thefts in Umuahia, including the theft of a traditional ruler’s wife’s vehicle from a church parking lot and a journalist’s car from his residence .
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