Police ban vehicles with unregistered or hidden number plates.

Linus Aleke in Abuja

The Nigeria Police Force has announced an immediate ban on the use of vehicles with unregistered or concealed number plates, stating that offenders will face appropriate sanctions.

The Force said the measure aims to improve public safety, strengthen security operations, and enhance law‑enforcement agencies’ ability to identify and track vehicles linked to criminal activity.

During a briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, Inspector‑General of Police (IGP) Olatunji Disu directed Commissioners of Police, Tactical Commanders, and Heads of Formations nationwide to intensify enforcement against vehicles operating without registration plates or with concealed registration numbers.

Expressing concern over what he described as a growing and disturbing trend, the IGP said the increasing use of such vehicles poses a serious threat to public safety and national security.

He said: “Let me now address a growing and disturbing trend that has serious implications for public safety and national security. Across several parts of the country, we have observed an increasing number of vehicles being driven without registration number plates, as well as vehicles whose number plates are deliberately concealed, defaced, covered, or altered in an attempt to evade identification.”

According to him, the practice is unlawful, irresponsible and unacceptable.

The police chief further declared: “I wish to state unequivocally that from today, the Nigeria Police Force will no longer tolerate such acts of impunity. Every vehicle operating on our roads must be properly registered and must display its approved registration number plates in accordance with the law. Any vehicle found without number plates or with deliberately obscured, concealed, or tampered registration numbers will be stopped, impounded, and subjected to the appropriate legal processes.”

Disu emphasised that vehicle registration is more than an administrative requirement, describing it as a critical tool for crime prevention, intelligence gathering and national security.

He noted that criminals, kidnappers, terrorists and other offenders often exploit anonymous vehicles to commit crimes and evade detection.

The IGP therefore urged vehicle owners to comply fully with existing regulations.

He said: “I therefore call on all law‑abiding citizens to ensure that their vehicles are duly registered and compliant with existing regulations. All Commissioners of Police, Tactical Commanders, and Heads of Formations are directed to immediately intensify enforcement operations against unregistered vehicles and vehicles with concealed registration numbers. There shall be no preferential treatment or selective enforcement. The law must apply equally to all, and anyone who chooses to disregard this directive will face the full consequences of the law.”

The police chief also highlighted the Force’s operational achievements over the past month and a few days, disclosing that officers arrested eight suspected terrorists, 29 suspects linked to murder and culpable homicide, 65 suspected armed robbers, 55 suspected kidnappers and 42 suspected cultists.

He added that police operations led to the rescue of 88 kidnapping victims during the period.

Providing further details, Disu said: “In the same vein, a total of 114 assorted firearms were recovered in different operations, while 843 various calibres of ammunition and 28 stolen vehicles were also recovered. Together, we shall continue to build a Nigeria Police Force that is professional, accountable, trusted by the people, and capable of responding effectively to the security challenges of our time.”