FEMI OWOEYE
Five vehicles sporting bogus diplomatic number plates were intercepted as the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) recorded more than 8,000 violations in a five-day crackdown on vehicle identity fraud and other traffic offences.
The sweep, code-named Operation GUDUMA II, ran from November 2 to 6, 2026. Enforcement teams recorded more than 1,600 number plate violations and 6,454 other traffic offences, bringing the misuse of diplomatic plates into sharp focus.
The operation followed concerns raised by the National Assembly and the Office of the National Security Adviser over the security implications of vehicle identity fraud. FRSC teams manned strategic locations in states including Lagos, Ondo, Cross River, Benue, Niger, Sokoto, Taraba, Bauchi, Imo, Abia and Kano, as well as the Federal Capital Territory.
The tally of other traffic offences was more than nine times the 683 recorded in the first phase of Operation GUDUMA. Number plate violations also rose from 1,003 to more than 1,600.
Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed said fraudulent plates can make vehicles harder to trace and help offenders evade law enforcement. He said the Corps would sustain the operation and extend it to more states, working with other agencies and using intelligence to guide deployments.
The FRSC warned motorists against using fake, unauthorised, concealed or improperly displayed plates and urged them to ensure their vehicles carry duly registered and approved plates.
©Copyright MOTORING WORLD INTERNATIONAL. All rights reserved. Materials, photographs, illustrations and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior written permission from Motoring World International
Contact: editor@motoringworldng.com
