Sanusi Orders Arrest, Prosecution of Offenders, Warns Officers Against Harassment and Extortion
The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has launched a major crackdown on vehicles operating with fake, concealed, defaced or invalid number plates across Abuja, as part of intensified efforts to strengthen security and improve vehicle identification in the nation’s capital.
The Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, CP Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, directed police personnel across the territory to immediately commence enforcement against motorists who violate laws governing vehicle registration, number plates and the use of tinted glasses.
The directive followed growing concerns over the increasing number of vehicles with questionable or deliberately obscured identification marks, particularly Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs), which the police said could be exploited by criminals to evade identification, detection and arrest.
The Command warned motorists against driving without valid licence plates, using tinted glasses without the required permits, or deliberately concealing, defacing or allowing registration numbers to become unreadable.
Sanusi also ordered enforcement against fake diplomatic number plates and genuine diplomatic plates being used by unauthorised persons, stressing that proper vehicle identification remains critical to effective policing and national security.
According to the Command, the operation is aimed at closing loopholes that criminals could exploit to conceal their identities and movements, and is not intended to inconvenience law-abiding residents.
The Commissioner, however, warned police officers participating in the exercise against turning the operation into an avenue for harassment, intimidation or extortion of motorists.
He directed that all enforcement activities must be carried out professionally, transparently and strictly in accordance with the law.
The Command consequently urged motorists and residents to cooperate with police personnel during the enforcement exercise and report suspicious vehicles or activities to the nearest police station.
The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday, October 4, 2026, on behalf of the Command in Abuja.
Residents can also contact the FCT Police Command through its emergency telephone lines: 08032003913 and 08028940883.
