The Edo State Government has appealed to residents of the state to help recover over 200 missing vehicles from the state government’s fleet after the end of the tenure of former Governor Godwin Obaseki.
Although three vehicles have been recovered, the Chairman of the Recovery Committee, Mr Kelly Okungbowa, said over 200 official vehicles are currently unaccounted for.
It would be recalled that former Deputy Governor, Mr Philip Shaibu, had raised the alarm about plots by political appointees and aides of the former governor to loot the state property.
Okungbowa, speaking at a press conference in Benin City, appealed to the public for further information: “We were inaugurated on Thursday and promised to operate within the law to fulfil the governor’s mandate to recover all missing government vehicles in private hands. We are pleased to inform the people of Edo State that we have recorded success within 24 hours of our inauguration.
“We have recovered one Hilux and two Toyota Hiace buses found in private custody. We assure the Edo people and the State Government that we will do this job to the best of our ability, ensuring that all the stolen vehicles are retrieved.
“Reports indicate that over 200 government vehicles are missing. We urge the public to provide more information, and whistleblowers will be handsomely rewarded. These vehicles belong to Edo citizens and not private individuals. It is unacceptable for anyone to steal government property.
“One of the recovered vehicles, a Toyota Hiace bus, was found with palliatives, including bags of garri and rice,” he explained.
Okungbowa also appealed to former government officials and others holding onto government vehicles to return them within 48 hours.
He added, “We are just wondering how many vehicles are in the homes of former government officials. Based on the information received, we are moving to other locations where government vehicles are reportedly parked. So far, there has been no resistance because security agencies are backing our operations.”
