Businessman petitions IGP, accuses police officer of returning his recovered stolen car to buyer 

Businessman petitions IGP, accuses police officer of returning his recovered stolen car to buyer

Evans Olubamidele, an Abuja-based businessman, has petitioned the inspector-general of police (IGP) over allegations of misconduct and dereliction of duty against Boniface Okolo, a police officer, pertaining to the case of a stolen car.

The petition was submitted to the office of the IGP on September 11, 2026, by counsel to Olubamidele.

In the petition, Olubamidele said in 2023, he bought a Toyota Corolla car from Ogunjobi, who immediately left Nigeria for Canada.

The Abuja-based businessman said the owner presented the car documents to him, after which he took the necessary steps to have the documents registered in his name.

After some months, Olubamidele handed the car over to Ani to use for ride-hailing services with an agreement that an amount would be remitted to him monthly.

According to the businessman, Ani remitted the agreed amount to him for only three months before allegedly selling the car and absconding to Ghana. Olubamidele reported the matter to Apo police station.

Subsequently, police officers arrested Ani’s wife over alleged connivance with her husband to sell Olubamidele’s car.

The businessman said after the arrest of Ani’s wife, he called via the phone and allegedly confessed that he sold the car to one dealer in the Nyanya area of Abuja.

The case initially went cold due to the inability of the police officers to arrest Ani.

Sometime in 2025, the businessman discovered that one Nora Basil had allegedly renewed the car documents with forged documents.

“This development naturally raised serious questions as to how Mr. Basil came into possession of the vehicle and the basis upon which he purported to deal with the vehicle and its documentation,” the petition reads.

 

Owing to the development, Olubamidele wrote a petition to the force investigation department (FID) in Abuja.

The case was assigned to Okolo, a police officer attached to the department.

After some months, someone was found using the car for ride-hailing services in Abuja.

When the person driving the car was traced and arrested, he said he had bought the vehicle from Basil under a hire-purchase arrangement.

 

The driver was asked to take the police officer and Olubamidele to Basil.

“The said driver subsequently led our Client and the IPO to the location of Mr. Basil’s motor dealership/car stand at Nyanya,” the businessman said.

“Our Client and the IPO met Mr. Basil at the said location. However, rather than arresting and investigating Mr. Basil concerning his possession of the vehicle and the circumstances under which he acquired it, Mr. Basil managed to escape from the scene. No meaningful arrest or investigation of Mr. Basil was, to our Client’s knowledge, subsequently carried out.”

Olubamidele said the car was recovered and taken to the FID office.

 

The businessman said Okolo told him that since the car was recovered in December 2025, he should return in January 2026 to come and collect the car after completion of investigation.

THE TWIST

Olubamidele said in January 2026, he started making efforts to reach out to Okolo for the release of the car.

The businessman said at a certain point, Okolo stopped responding to his repeated calls, as well as those made by his friend.

Olubamidele said in August 2026, a police officer facilitated a meeting between him and Okolo at the FID office

The businessman said during the meeting, Okolo told him that the car had been returned to Basil after a petition was written against him.

Olubamidele said Okolo also informed him that a signal was received directly that the car should be released to Basil.

The businessman said Okolo did not show him copies of the petition and the signal.

“Our Client immediately demanded to know the basis upon which a vehicle recovered in connection with his complaint, and in respect of which he had produced the relevant purchase and vehicle documents, could be released to Mr. Basil without his consent or participation, but Mr. Okolo could not come up with any tenable explanation,” the petition reads.

“To date, our Client has neither recovered his vehicle nor received any satisfactory explanation as to its present whereabouts, condition, legal status or the circumstances of its release.”

THE REQUEST

The businessman appealed to the IGP to set up an independent investigation into the conduct of Okolo and other persons involved in the case.

Olubamidele called for investigation into the purported signal that directed the release of the car to Basil.

The businessman asked the IGP to order the release of his car to him.

‘THE CAR IS STILL IN FID PREMISE’

Before the petition was submitted to the IGP, TheCable reached out to Okolo for his reaction to the allegations.

The police officer denied the allegations, adding that the businessman’s car is parked at the FID office in Abuja.

Okolo said the car has not been released to Olubamidele because investigation has not been completed.

The police officer added that he is investigating a syndicate that specialises in car theft in Abuja.

Asked to state the exact time that the car will be returned to the businessman, he said he “cannot state the exact time at the moment”.

Asked whether the car would be returned before the end of the year, he confirmed that it would.