The Oyo State House of Assembly has introduced a motion to regulate the use of covered number plates, unregistered vehicles, political stickers, and dealer number plates, to address the rising tide of criminal activities in the state.
The motion, which was sponsored by Hon. R.A. Mabaje (Ido), Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin (Ibarapa East), Hon. S.A Onaolapo (Ogbomoso South), and Hon. Bamidele Adeola (Iseyin/Itesiwaju), was read at the floor of the House during plenary.
The House said the move was aimed at preventing the misuse of the elements by individuals including internet fraudsters and other criminal elements.
The motion revealed that the National Road Traffic Regulations (NRTR), 2012, amended in 2016, provides comprehensive guidelines for vehicle registration, the proper use of number plates, and traffic safety.
It noted that despite the regulations, there has been an alarming rise in the misuse of covered number plates, unregistered vehicles, and dealer plates by individuals to evade law enforcement detection while engaging in crimes such as kidnapping, armed robbery, drug trafficking, and smuggling.
Read Also: NMA, Oyo Govt partner to eradicate quackery
Oyo Assembly: Bill to Expand Tax Net Scales Second Reading
The motion cites several instances where individuals were apprehended for using unregistered vehicle and dealer plates linked to illegal firearms and contraband.
It reads In part: “In July 2023, several individuals were arrested during an FRSC operation in Ibadan for using unregistered vehicles and dealer plates. Similarly, in August 2023, a group of armed robbers evaded checkpoints using political stickers but were arrested after a chase.
“In September 2023, the Oyo State Police Command arrested a gang of kidnappers using covered plates vehicle number and unregistered vehicles to transport victims undetected.”
The motion also disclosed that the unauthorised use of covered vehicle number plates, political stickers, and government insignia on vehicles has become a growing problem in Oyo State.
“Many individuals misuse these elements to bypass police and traffic checks, compromise security checkpoints, and obstruct law enforcement. The widespread use of dealer plates by unauthorised persons also threatens public safety and reduces the state’s Internally Generated Revenue.”
The motion condemns in strong terms the illegal use of covered number plates, unregistered vehicles, political stickers, and dealer plates.
It urged the Nigeria Police Force (Oyo State Police Command), the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC: Oyo State Command), and other relevant security agencies to intensify operations aimed at identifying and apprehending individuals using such elements.
Furthermore, the motion urges the Executive Arm of government in Oyo State to ensure swift prosecution of all individuals violating traffic laws through the illegal use of unregistered vehicles, covered plates, dealer number plates, or political stickers, regardless of their social or political status.
It also called for the deployment of more surveillance facilities, such as CCTV cameras and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems, at critical junctions, highways, and urban centers across the state.
Emmanuel Ukoh
Comments are closed.