The Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Shehu Mohammed Monday directed the immediate clampdown on confirmed cases of fake Diplomatic and other unauthorised number plates as seen on some vehicles plying Nigerian roads.
These identified number plates, Mohammed said, are fraudulently produced by suspected criminals as they were neither produced by any of the production plants of the FRSC in the country nor issued by the Motor Licensing Authorities of States.
Mohammed in a statement by Assistant Corps Marshal, Corps Public Education Officer, Olusegun Ogungbemide, said the identified fake and unauthorised number plates include but not limited to those with the following inscriptions: Diplomatic Number Plates, NYCN, Peace Ambassador, NAUS, CYMS, UN-UNITY 01, UN-AMB, NANS, etc.
Mohammed noted: “Pursuant to the growing need to bring this criminal activities to a halt, the Corps Marshal has approved immediate commencement of tactical enforcement across all formations of the Corps, so as to ensure speedy arrest and impoundment of all vehicles on Nigerian roads with the above identified fake number plates or any other of its kind.
“By this notice, the public is hereby cautioned that these fake and unauthorized number plates are mostly used for nefarious and criminal activities.
“Pursuant to the foregoing, members of the public are advised to report anyone using such number plates to law enforcement bodies.
“Members of the public who are presently using such vehicle identifications are by this publication warned to immediately discontinue the use of these fake and unauthorized plates as defaulters will be prosecuted.
“To achieve maximum impact in the aggressive enforcement, the Corps will collaborate with other Security agencies to uncover the sources of the fake number plates for necessary apprehension and prosecution. Owners of such vehicles shall be prosecuted along as accomplices.
“The Corps is committed to this action and will ensure that not even one of these nefarious individuals who are only driven by pecuniary gains to compromise the security architecture of the country will be left unarrested.”