The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has dismantled a car theft syndicate known for rebranding and selling stolen vehicles.
This crackdown came after an investigation into a stolen Honda Accord led police to a workshop in Plateau State.
According to a statement from the command on Sunday, the case began on October 10, 2024, when a man named Philemon Olaoluwa reported his Honda Accord 2006 model, with registration RBC 40 NW, stolen. Olaoluwa’s car had broken down, and a friend recommended he contact a mechanic named Abdulhamid Saidu from Apo Mechanic Village in Abuja. However, instead of fixing the car, Saidu reportedly disappeared with it.
The police used advanced tracking technology to locate the stolen vehicle in Rayfield, Jos, where it was found with a suspect, Steven Abang, known for receiving and rebranding stolen cars. During questioning, Abang admitted that he received the vehicle from Saidu, his accomplice, who remains at large.
“At Abang’s workshop, two additional vehicles, a Hyundai Accent and a Peugeot 208, were found and are believed to be stolen. They were in the process of being rebranded,” the police statement revealed. Abang reportedly confessed to selling over 16 stolen cars in the past four years, with buyers ready to purchase the rebranded vehicles.
Abang is currently in police custody and will face charges after further investigation.
