Imo Police impound over 25 vehicles in crackdown on covered, missing number plates

By James Ike

The Imo State Police Command has impounded more than 25 vehicles with covered, obscured or missing registration plate numbers as part of a statewide enforcement campaign aimed at improving security and curbing criminal activities.

Commissioner of Police, Audu Garba Bosso, disclosed this while addressing journalists in Owerri at the weekend. He said the operation is in line with the enforcement of laws prohibiting the use of vehicles without clearly visible registration plates.

According to the police commissioner, the initiative is designed to enhance public safety, strengthen intelligence gathering and prevent criminals from exploiting anonymous vehicles to commit offences.

Bosso explained that the enforcement is backed by the National Road Traffic Regulations, 2012, which mandate every vehicle to display valid and visible registration plates.

He added that the Nigeria Police Force derives its powers from the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Police Act, 2020, and other relevant laws to enforce the regulation in the interest of public safety and national security.

He noted that operational experience has shown that kidnappers, armed robbers, cultists and other criminal elements often use vehicles with covered or missing number plates to conceal their identities, evade detection and frustrate law enforcement efforts.

"We will not allow such practices to undermine the security of Imo State," Bosso said, adding that he had directed Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers, Tactical Commanders and patrol teams across the state to intensify enforcement in a professional, intelligence-driven manner while respecting the rights of law-abiding citizens.

He warned that anyone found violating the law, regardless of status or position, would face prosecution.

The commissioner further revealed that since the commencement of the exercise, over 25 offending vehicles have been impounded, while their owners are being profiled and subjected to appropriate legal procedures.

Bosso stressed that the operation is not intended to harass motorists or encourage extortion but to improve vehicle identification and traceability, deter crime and boost public confidence in the state's security framework.

He urged vehicle owners to ensure their vehicles are properly registered and display clearly visible registration plates at all times, advising those with damaged, obscured or missing plates to regularise them without delay in accordance with the law.