INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE, TUNJI DISU ORDERS SEIZURE OF VEHICLES WITHOUT NUMBER PLATE OVER INSECURITY

The Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, has issued a strong nationwide warning over the increasing use of unregistered vehicles and the deliberate concealment, defacement, or alteration of number plates.

He noted that this practice is unlawful, irresponsible, and a growing threat to public safety and national security, as it is frequently exploited by criminals to evade identification and accountability.

From today, the Nigeria Police Force says it will no longer tolerate such acts of impunity. Enforcement has been directed across all commands, with strict orders that any vehicle found without valid registration or with tampered or hidden plates will be stopped, impounded, and subjected to legal procedures.

“Every vehicle operating on our roads must be properly registered and must display its approved registration number in accordance with the law. Any vehicle found without number plates or with deliberately obscured, concealed, or tampered registration number will be stopped, impounded, and subjected to the appropriate legal process.”

The police further stressed that vehicle registration is not just administrative, but a key tool for crime prevention, intelligence gathering, and national security, as criminals, kidnappers, and other offenders often rely on untraceable vehicles to operate.

All Commissioners of Police, tactical commanders, and heads of formations have been directed to intensify enforcement operations nationwide, with a clear warning that there will be no preferential treatment or selective enforcement.