Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Tunji Disu, has directed all Commissioners of Police (CPs), tactical commanders, and heads of police formations across the country to immediately commence strict enforcement operations against vehicles operating without number plates or with concealed, altered, or defaced registration numbers.
The directive was issued on Tuesday during a strategic conference meeting with senior police officers, where the IGP expressed concern over the increasing number of vehicles being driven on Nigerian roads without proper identification.
According to Disu, the trend poses a serious threat to public safety and national security, as it hampers law enforcement agencies’ ability to identify vehicles involved in criminal activities and track offenders.
The police chief described the practice as unlawful, irresponsible, and unacceptable, stressing that the Nigeria Police Force would no longer tolerate such violations.
He noted that across the country, there has been a growing and disturbing pattern of motorists deliberately removing, covering, altering, or concealing their vehicle registration numbers in an attempt to evade identification by security agencies and traffic enforcement authorities.
Disu stated that every vehicle operating on Nigerian roads must be duly registered and display approved registration numbers in line with existing laws and regulations.
He warned that any vehicle found without a valid number plate, or with tampered registration details, would be stopped and subjected to appropriate legal procedures.
The IGP subsequently directed all police commands and formations nationwide to intensify enforcement efforts and ensure strict compliance with vehicle registration laws.
The renewed enforcement campaign is expected to target unregistered vehicles, vehicles with fake or altered number plates, as well as motorists who deliberately obscure their registration numbers to avoid detection.
Security experts have long argued that proper vehicle identification is critical to crime prevention, intelligence gathering, traffic management, and the effective investigation of criminal activities, including kidnapping, armed robbery, terrorism, and other security threats.
The directive forms part of the Nigeria Police Force’s broader efforts to strengthen internal security, improve law enforcement effectiveness, and promote compliance with traffic and vehicle registration regulations across the country.