Still On Taming Number Plate Criminals

October 1st was my birthday. It was a time of gratitude to God Almighty for His tender mercies. No reddish carpets were rolled for me. There were nary talking drums to denote my caller age. Yet, glasses clinked successful celebration. Sadly, the period preceding October was a period of calamity astatine the Federal Road Safety Corps. The period of September brought tears, anguish, and symptom to unit and families. In the words of Shehu Mohammed, Corps Marshal of the Corps, 5 unit of the Agency were knocked down successful September 2025 by reckless drivers.

Here is the breakdown: connected 6th September 2025 from Ekiti State. Another connected 8th September 2025 from Ogun State. Yet different connected 15th September 2025 from Taraba State. Jos bypass successful Plateau State connected 19th September 2025, portion Obollo-Afor successful Enugu State was connected 24th September. From accusation sourced from Uzoma Okiti’s Facebook account, determination was yet different decease connected 29th September astatine astir 4:30 pm. It progressive Ibrahim Omonowo, a unit subordinate of the FRSC who was connected work to guarantee information for travelers on the Okene-Auchi route. But portion connected that information mission, a reckless motortruck operator with registration fig JJJ 972 YA knocked him down. He was rushed to the General Hospital, Okene, Kogi State, but died shortly.

I americium consoled that the motortruck had a registration number. With this number, some the operator and the motortruck proprietor volition beryllium tracked for prosecution. I anticipation the fig plates for the different cases were captured. Without specified a number, which I told you past week identifies the vehicle, Ibrahim’s decease and the decease of the others would deed a ceramic partition portion prosecuting.

As I gully the curtain connected this delicate information and information issue, fto maine refresh your caput connected what the instrumentality says. For accent and clarity, it is amerciable for immoderate instrumentality enforcement operative to prosecute successful the removal/confiscation of fig plates from a vehicle. This was however the Corps captured it successful a clarification, and I bash anticipation that roadworthy users would take, according to my learned friend, judicial announcement of the clarification.

For due guidance, the pursuing provisions of the instrumentality are instructive: Section 10(4)(h) of the FRSC (Establishment) Act, 2007 states that it’s an discourtesy to beryllium connected the roadworthy without a valid conveyance licence oregon recognition people being displayed. Similarly, Section 10(4)(s) of the Act makes nonaccomplishment to show fig plates connected vehicles an offense. The National Road Traffic Regulations (NRTR) 2012 besides supply arsenic follows:

Section 36 (NRTR) 2012 makes it mandatory for each backstage and commercialized vehicles to person fig plates which shall beryllium fixed connected them successful a mode that is not easy detachable. Section 36 states that each backstage and commercialized vehicles shall, arsenic from the commencement of these Regulations, person connected them Vehicle Identification Number Plates which shall beryllium carried by the centrifugal conveyance connected 2 plates which shall conform to the requirements of these regulations; and the fig sheet shall beryllium fixed successful specified a mode that each is not easy detachable and successful an upright presumption oregon wrong 15 degrees of specified position.

Section 39(a) states that “All vehicles, backstage and commercial, shall person connected them conveyance recognition fig plates, and it shall beryllium an discourtesy for immoderate conveyance not to person the said fig plates.” It concludes by stating that isolated from recognition purposes, conveyance registration fig plates are information items that are captured connected the nationalist information architecture and person been utilized to assistance information operatives successful tracking immoderate superior nationalist information issues. Removing specified recognition items from vehicles plying our roads volition not lone offend the instrumentality but would further jeopardize nationalist security.

Section 37-(1) of the aforesaid Regulations states that the Identification Number Plates carried by a centrifugal conveyance oregon articulated conveyance shall beryllium displayed connected 2 plates for a centrifugal conveyance and 3 plates for an articulated conveyance and shall conform arsenic to lettering, numbering, and different with the provisions acceptable retired successful figures 1-11 of Schedule 5 to these regulations. The fig plates shall, successful respect of a centrifugal vehicle, beryllium fixed, 1 connected the beforehand of the conveyance and the different astatine the halfway oregon connected the offside of the rear of the vehicle, oregon arsenic whitethorn beryllium provided by the manufacturer.

In respect of a trailer, 1 should beryllium fixed connected the beforehand of the conveyance and 2 astatine the rear of the trailer successful an upright position. For a motorcycle, 1 sheet shall beryllium fixed successful beforehand and 1 astatine the rear with the sheet having a achromatic inheritance but bluish lettering for private, greenish lettering for the Federal, State, oregon Local Government, achromatic lettering for the Armed Forces, Paramilitary Service, and reddish lettering for commercial, truthful that each missive oregon fig connected the sheet is upright and easy distinguishable successful the lawsuit of the beforehand sheet from behind.

In the lawsuit of the betterment of a semi-t...