The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, has issued a directive to all Commissioners of Police, Tactical Commanders, and Heads of Formations across Nigeria to intensify enforcement against vehicles operating without registration number plates. The order was given during the monthly conference with senior strategic officers of the Nigeria Police Force at the Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Peacekeeping Centre, Force Headquarters, Abuja.
Enforcement Targets Concealed and Altered Plates
The directive also targets vehicles with concealed, altered, defaced, or otherwise obscured registration numbers. The IGP described the growing trend of vehicles operating without proper registration or with deliberately concealed number plates as unlawful and a serious threat to public safety and national security.
He emphasized that vehicle registration remains a critical component of crime prevention, intelligence gathering, and law enforcement. Criminal elements often exploit anonymous vehicles to perpetrate crimes and evade detection, he noted.
Operations to Impound Offending Vehicles
Consequently, all police commands have been directed to commence enforcement operations against offending vehicles nationwide. Under the directive, any vehicle found without approved registration plates or with tampered registration details will be stopped, impounded, and subjected to appropriate legal processes in accordance with extant laws.
The IGP urged all vehicle owners to ensure compliance with registration requirements and warned that there would be no preferential treatment in the enforcement of the directive.
Yobe Police Arrest Eight Drug Suspects
Meanwhile, the Yobe State Police Command has arrested eight suspects over alleged drug-related offences and recovered weapons and other exhibits during operations in various parts of the state. The arrests followed intensified crime prevention and control strategies, including patrols, raids on criminal hideouts and black spots, stop-and-search operations, and intelligence-led policing across the state.
Spokesperson for the command, SP Dungus Abdulkarim, disclosed that the newly commissioned Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) had commenced round-the-clock operations and recorded a major breakthrough with the arrest of eight suspected drug peddlers and violent crime suspects.
Details of the Raid and Arrests
According to him, on June 9, 2026, at about 6:00 p.m., operatives of the VCRU, acting on credible intelligence, conducted coordinated raids at the notorious New Marte Ghetto in Damaturu. The operation resulted in the arrest of Usman Hassan, alias Bapani, 20, in possession of a large quantity of suspected Cannabis sativa and several Yobe State University students' script papers.
Another suspect, Bukar Sale, alias Benzima, 18, was arrested with a quantity of suspected Cannabis sativa, a sharp cutlass, and other suspected illicit substances. The six other suspects arrested are Adamu, 18; Hassan Abdullahi, 20; Ibrahim Ibrahim, alias Bomboy, 20; Usman Sale, alias Ado Gonja, 21; Mohammed Salisu, alias RP Damboa, 25; and Bako Mohammed, alias Balande, 18.
Abdulkarim noted that all the suspects are residents of Pompomari Sabon Kwalta in Damaturu. Exhibits recovered during the operation include suspected Cannabis sativa, other harmful substances, a sharp cutlass, a knife, and other items believed to be linked to criminal activities.
Investigations and Prosecution
Investigations are ongoing to determine the extent of the suspects' involvement in criminal activities within the metropolis and to identify possible accomplices. The suspects will be prosecuted upon the conclusion of investigations.
The Commissioner of Police, Usman Jibrin, reiterated the command's zero-tolerance stance against violent crimes, drug abuse, thuggery, hooliganism, and other forms of criminality. He warned youths against engaging in criminal activities, carrying dangerous weapons, and abusing illicit substances, stressing that such acts threaten public safety and undermine societal development.
The commissioner also urged parents, community leaders, and other stakeholders to support the police and other security agencies in mentoring young people and reporting suspicious activities promptly.
