Insecurity: Police crackdown on vehicles with covered, fake number plates in Ogun

The Ogun State Police Command has commenced a statewide enforcement crackdown on vehicles operating with covered, obscured, defaced, concealed, unauthorised, fake, or no registration number plates, as part of efforts to strengthen security and curb criminal activities across the state.

The enforcement exercise followed a directive from the Inspector-General of Police and is aimed at preventing criminals from exploiting vehicle anonymity to perpetrate crimes and evade detection.

The Police Public Relations Officer of the Ogun State Command, announced the development in a statement issued on Friday.

He said the State Commissioner of Police, CP Bode Ojajuni, had directed all Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers, and Tactical Team Commanders to strictly enforce compliance with the directive.

According to the statement, officers have been mandated to impound offending vehicles and conduct thorough investigations in line with existing laws.

“The enforcement covers vehicles operating with covered, obscured, defaced, concealed, unauthorised or no registration number plates.

“It also extends to vehicles displaying fake, improperly issued, altered, or otherwise unauthorised number plates,” the statement said.

The police, however, noted that vehicles officially entitled to display flags under established government protocols remain exempt from the directive.

The Command explained that the operation is not intended to harass or inconvenience law-abiding residents, but to enhance the capacity of security agencies to identify vehicles, investigate crimes, track suspects, and improve the overall security architecture of the state.

“This exercise is not intended to inconvenience law-abiding citizens. Rather, it is designed to strengthen public safety, improve crime detection and prevention, and deny criminal elements the anonymity often exploited in the commission of crimes,” the Command stated.

The police urged motorists, transport operators, fleet owners, and members of the public to ensure that their vehicles carry valid, duly issued, and clearly visible registration number plates at all times.

Reaffirming its commitment to the protection of lives and property, the Command called on residents to cooperate with law enforcement agencies by complying with the directive and providing credible information that could aid security operations.

“The Ogun State Police Command remains committed to protecting lives and property. We urge residents to comply with this directive and continue to support the Police with timely and credible information,” the statement added.

The Command further disclosed that officers deployed for the operation had been instructed to conduct themselves professionally, courteously, and strictly within the confines of the law.

Residents were advised to report emergencies or provide useful information through the Command’s toll-free Gateway Shield line, 0800 000 9111, or its emergency numbers: 0906 283 7609, 0912 014 1706, 0915 102 7369, and 0708 497 2994.