The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Anambra Command has urged motorists to ensure their vehicles are properly registered and uploaded to the National Vehicle Identification System (NVIS) platform and desist from patronising touts.
Mr Andrew Kumapayi, the Sector Commander of FRSC in Anambra made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Awka.
“FRSC has the database of all registered vehicles uploaded in the NVIS platform.
“People should ensure that their vehicle registration are done genuinely at the Board of Inland Revenue office and should not patronise those dealing with fake numbers,” he warned.
He said that the FRSC recovered a Toyota Rav. 4 Jeep suspected to have been stolen from the original owner in 2015, which was subsequently registered by touts.
The sector commander said that Mrs Veronica Okeke had gone to Nnewi Licensing Office to effect the change of the registration number of the car from SSM 23 AA to an Anambra number plate which she bought from Mrs Kate Ucheagu.
Kumapayi said discrepancy was spotted in the original chassis of the vehicle which was JTEHH20VX26025177 but was captured as TTEHH20VX26025177 in the document presented.
He said it was detected during verification of the number plate that the vehicle had been registered to another person.
He said when verification was done on the original chassis number, information available showed the vehicle belonged to Mr Chukwuemeka Seth who was resident in Port Harcourt with a Lagos number plate LND 79 DB.
The Sector Commander said when Seth was contacted he confirmed that the car belonged to him but was stolen with the original documents in April 2015 at Choba, Port Harcourt
Kumapayi said the men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad arrested Okeke, the new buyer of the vehicle.
The sector commander said the case had been transferred to Choba Police Station where the matter was earlier reported.