Edo State: Nearly 500 government vehicles missing

Fred Itua, Chief Press Secretary to Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo, has revealed that nearly 500 vehicles belonging to the Edo State Government are unaccounted for.

This disclosure comes after an earlier report by a recovery committee indicating that 200 vehicles were missing. However, updated findings from the committee, led by Kelly Okungbowa, have nearly doubled that figure, pointing to a more extensive issue of untracked state assets.

The state government has intensified efforts to recover the missing vehicles and other public assets, signaling a firm stance against asset mismanagement.

“So far, the committee set up to recover vehicles, as of this morning from findings that I made, they had recovered about 10 vehicles,” Itua said on Monday’s edition of Channels Television’s Lunchtime Politics.

“From the conversation I had with the chairman of that committee, he said that the initial figure of 200 was understated that there are almost 500 vehicles that are still missing and as of yesterday, they had traced about 21 of those vehicles to the house of a very top appointee of the last government.”

He added that some of the missing vehicles were also traced to a former official of the past government of Godwin Obaseki.

“Then, another – about 15  – traced to the house of another [top appointee of Obaseki’s government], and in the coming days, they intend to legitimately recover these vehicles and other assets belonging to the state so that is being held in private hands which ordinarily should not have happened.”