The Delta State Police Command has commenced a statewide enforcement exercise against vehicles operating without registration number plates and those with concealed, altered, defaced or otherwise unreadable registration numbers, as part of efforts to strengthen security and enhance crime prevention across the state.
The exercise, which follows a directive from the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, is aimed at improving public safety and boosting the capacity of law enforcement agencies to identify vehicles, track criminal activities and apprehend offenders.
In a statement issued on Monday by the Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, SP Bright Edafe, the police said vehicles operating without valid registration plates or with obscured number plates constitute a significant security threat because they are often difficult to trace and can be exploited by criminal elements to evade detection.
The Command, therefore, advised vehicle owners and operators to ensure that their vehicles are properly registered and that their registration number plates remain clearly visible at all times.
Motorists were also urged to remove any sticker, frame, cover, device or material capable of obstructing the visibility of their registration numbers and to immediately regularise any vehicle operating without approved registration plates.
According to the statement, the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, has directed all Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers, Tactical Commanders and officers on patrol to ensure strict compliance with the directive throughout the state.
The police warned that any vehicle found operating without approved registration plates or with tampered registration details would be stopped, impounded and subjected to the appropriate legal procedures in line with existing laws.
To ensure effective implementation of the exercise, the Commissioner of Police has also mandated the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations to coordinate, supervise and monitor enforcement activities across the state.
The Command reiterated its commitment to protecting lives and property, noting that the enforcement exercise forms part of broader proactive measures aimed at maintaining law and order and creating a safer environment for residents.
It further appealed to members of the public to cooperate with law enforcement officers by complying with the directive and ensuring that all vehicle registration requirements are duly met.
SP Bright Edafe, Police Public Relations Officer, Delta State Command, said the initiative underscored the Command’s resolve to strengthen security architecture and deny criminal elements the opportunity to exploit unregistered or improperly identified vehicles for unlawful activities.
