(NAN) The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in collaboration with other security agencies will on Aug. 30 start impounding vehicles with fake and unauthorised plate numbers in Kogi State.
The state Sector Commander of the FRSC, Mr Solomon Agure who disclosed this in a statement in Lokoja on Saturday said that the operation will be carried out along with police and civil defence corps.
He said that the clamp down will be carried out under a special operation which will go along with mobile court sittings to try violators.
Agure said that the corps was dismayed by the increasing number of vehicles using invalid and unregistered number plate numbers and has decided to put a stop to this.
He also said that continuous use of old government number plates by private vehicle owners across the state was an illegal which has security implications.
‘ It contradicts totally the essence of the unveiling of the new number plates by the Federal Government,” he said.
He explained that the invalid and unregistered number plates which are usually green in colour were never authorised, produced or registered by FRSC .
” The fact is that only Federal and State Government Vehicles number plates are produced in green colour and have the name of the Ministry or Parastatal inscribed according to the National Road Traffic Regulations (NRTR) 2012.
” It is unfortunate that some unscrupulous elements produce such fake number plates in green colour to appear as if they are for government vehicles with the intention of evading security checks ,” Agure stated.
He identified some of the number plates to include inscriptions: Peace Ambassador,
Nobel Ambassador,
ODYP-O1SP, LEADS-02,
CYMS-12, NUP-02HCP,
NYCN SE39, NYCN-01SW,
NASU-004 and
NANS among others.
The Sector Commander said that some private vehicle owners have formed the habit of using old government number plates for the same reason of evading security checks .
” These illegal acts being in perpetrated on our highways in the state by unscrupulous elements are inimical to our national security and must be stopped,” he said.
Agure called on those using such illegal number plates to remove them immediately or be ready to face the consequences as from Monday , Aug. 30.