47-year-old woman fights to prove car ownership amid false theft claims by Cameroonian businessman; calls on IGP Egbetokun to caution Anambra officers over abridgement of rights

47-year-old woman fights to prove car ownership amid false theft claims by Cameroonian businessman; calls on IGP Egbetokun to caution Anambra officers over abridgement of rights

By Naomi Onome

A 47-year-old single mother, Gloria Asika, laments over an attempt to forcefully claim her vehicle (Rav-4) by one Nigerian-Cameroonian businessman, Mr. Chinedu Frank Ejiofor, who could only identify his stolen vehicle by color. It is reported that the claimant’s VIN number provided does not match the VIN number on the alleged stolen car, which further fuels suspicion over Chinedu’s claim of ownership.

The discrepancies in the alleged owner’s claim, such as the different VIN numbers, registration year, and interior material, do raise questions about the validity of his allegations. It’s concerning that despite these inconsistencies, the case is being called for a transfer to Anambra while investigation is still ongoing at the Zone 2 Command Lagos, allegedly due to the claimant’s influence.

According to Grace Asika (the complainant), the matter was initially reported at the Ikotun Police Division when Mr. Chinedu alleged his stolen car was found in the possession of a recent buyer who got the car from Grace Asika. The case was not handled professionally, leading to a transfer of the case to Zone 2 Command.

Mrs. Grace Osika’s revelation of her situation over the alleged car theft can be described as quite complex and stressful. She provided extensive documentation and a clear chain of ownership for the RAV4 in dispute, which suggests she has made efforts to ensure the car’s legitimacy.

She further explains,

In 2023, I purchased a used RAV4 from a man named Sammy in Lagos, Nigeria. He provided me with all of the records of the car’s prior owners. Both the first and second purchasers of the vehicle did so in Ekiti. Only I received it and registered it in Lagos; nowhere in Anambra is the car registered.

I verified that the customs documents the then seller supplied me were authentic, and in April 2025, I made the decision to sell the vehicle to a man named Alhaji. After selling the automobile for a week, Alhaji called me to let me know that he wanted to sell it because someone had come and claimed it was stolen and that he had originally owned it. That didn’t sit well with me.

The matter was taken to the Ikotun police station, where I discovered that the case was not being properly handled; the person who claimed the car was stolen had no supporting documentation; he just claimed to have identified the car based on a stain in the vehicle’s boot. I had to move the matter to Zone 2 via a petition. A meeting was called involving all the parties. I also brought with me all of the paperwork on the car from the previous owners to corroborate my claims.

Since their numbers appeared on the documents, the previous owners were contacted by phone. They all acknowledged that they had previously used and sold the vehicle before it reached me. According to the man who claimed it was his stolen vehicle, he registered it in 2023 when it was brought to the country from overseas. However, the records I have show that this vehicle was registered in 2015.

The man claiming theft said his RAV4’s interior was in leather, but the customs documents once more showed that the vehicle was in fabrics. Chinedu has since subjected me to a depressive state with his oppression since his claims. He says he is the rightful owner of the car and is bent on stripping both me and the person I sold it to. The Zone 2 Command is handling the case, but Mr. Chinedu is rewriting the story as promised in Anambra using Officer Achunike to achieve his aim.

He is currently doing just that, as I received a call from Anambra stating that they would like to transfer the case to them. Note that the claim is unsupported by any evidence; he simply printed a VIN number from the internet. The police at Zone 2 Command requested the affidavit proving his car was stolen. Chinedu had none but later presented forged documents in contrast with the real documents.

There is currently no evidence to support Chinedu’s claim that they broke into his home and took the car. The fact that my car and the one that was stolen from him are the same color serves as his sole proof. Even the car’s VIN differs from his, so that isn’t proof. However, they proceeded to transfer the case to Anambra, like he said he would during interrogation, simply to alter the facts.

The police asked Chinedu where he reported the stolen car when he was in zone 2, but he was unable to provide an explanation for where he reported it. When they inquired about his IPO, he replied that he was unsure. He only boasted that he is the one who provides the Anambra police officers with food and that he will enforce the law. He claimed that since they are all in his pocket, the Anambra policemen would take the car from me when he arrived at the location where he was taking the case.

This oppression is equivalent to daylight robbery. The car in dispute has a history, and it was brought into Nigeria in 2015 and not 2023. This car has been passed down to owners from 2015 till now. The police called the second buyer, who bought the car in 2018. He said he bought it from the first owner and sold it in 2023 to me after using it for four years, and I have original papers to prove it. This guy doesn’t have any proof that this is his car, not even a picture of him with it. The evidence is glaring, yet some officers in Anambra are bent on truncating justice just to confiscate my car.

I’m in a challenging situation. I sold my car, bought with all of my savings, because I couldn’t afford to maintain the car any longer, so I got a smaller car instead. But despite the fact that Chinedu has no supporting evidence, he’s suddenly come forward to claim that the car I sold is stolen. The issue is growing more alarming as he has been claiming to have influence with the Anambra police and threatening to involve them in order to seize the car.

Gloria Asika noted that as a single mother trying to get by, she humbly solicits the attention of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Egbetokun Kayode, to call to order officers in Anambra used as a means to forcefully take over her car possession without thorough investigation and appeals that her case remain in Zone 2 for transparency and fact-finding. Hopefully, the authorities will take a fair and impartial approach to resolving this matter.

She says she’ll be in debt if ever Chinedu achieves his aim, which is unfounded until proven otherwise. Additionally, request that the Anambra police command thoroughly investigate the claimant’s allegations and consider the evidence provided before making any decisions about the car’s ownership or calling for a case transfer.