By Ayo Alonge
A company, Media Concepts International Limited and Association of Motor Dealers of Nigeria (AMDON) have devised a technology for safeguarding cars against theft and ascertaining the authenticity of ownership, in a bid to combat car theft.
At an event held in Lagos, recently, the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on the creation of authentic data base for both members and their vehicles, under supervision of the Nigeria Police Force, was done by the IT company and the regulatory body for car dealers.
Addressing journalists at the press briefing, the President of AMDON, Prince Ajibola Adedoyin, in his speech, established the basis for the innovation.
“It is a win-win situation for both the buyers, the sellers and the Nigerian Police who are often left with the headache of going in search of missing cars which has been the order of the day.
“Every business must have a regulatory body and we are going to ensure that every member complies because it is very important for our business and it is important for national security because we are always at the receiving end. When a thief steals a cars from a seller, we are sometimes made to pay back for it, as sellers, but when the thief is caught, who tells the thief to return the car or its price to the dealer?,” Adedoyin asked.
Emphasising that the innovation has come to bring an end to vehicular crimes in the country, the Chairman of the company behind the innovation, Dr. Tope Agbeyo, bared his mind on the merits of the invention.
“This innovation is to improve on the safety and security of our people and to ensure that the standard of doing business in motor dealership is greatly improved on.
“You can now buy a vehicle and you are sure of the status of your vehicle. You can now know if the car is a stolen vehicle. I think that, for this, we really need to applaud the Nigerian Police Force for collaborating with us.
“All dealers register their cars on the platform and even when your car has been stolen for years back, you can now track it and get it back,” said Agbeyo.
Similarly, speaking on behalf of the Inspector General of Police, ACP Ayotunde Omodeinde, assures that with the I nnovation, both car dealers and car owners can now heave a sigh of relief.
He said: “The Police working with AMDON would ensure that when vehicles are bought to them, they can confirm if the vehicles are stolen before buying and the members of AMDON can also inform the police discreetly to track and secure stolen vehicles and to ensure that people buy their cars without the fear of a likelihood of it being a stolen vehicle. This initiative is a laudable one in the area of reducing incidents of car theft.”
Stakeholders at the event unanimously affirmed that the initiative would bring an end to the incessant cases of stolen vehicles in the country even as organisers and participants were full of praises for the police for taking such a gallant stride in curbing crime.