By Our Reporter
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has launched the second phase of its special intervention patrol, code-named Operation Guduma, targeting motorists using fake, covered, defaced and obsolete vehicle number plates across the country.
The five-day operation, scheduled to run from Monday, November 2, to Friday, November 6, 2026, is aimed at strengthening road safety enforcement and addressing security threats associated with fraudulent vehicle registration plates.
The exercise, approved by the Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, will be conducted in selected states, with designated senior officers deployed to coordinate and supervise the operation.
The FRSC said the second phase builds on the outcome of the first exercise conducted in May 2026, which recorded 1,691 arrests across 11 states. Of the figure, 1,003 motorists were arrested for various number plate-related offences, 683 for overloading and mixed-loading, while five were apprehended for using fake diplomatic number plates.
According to the Corps, the renewed operation follows concerns raised by the Office of the National Security Adviser over the increasing use of counterfeit, covered, defaced and obsolete vehicle registration plates, including fake diplomatic plates.
It noted that vehicles operating with unidentifiable or fraudulent number plates could enable criminal elements to evade identification, undermine security surveillance and frustrate investigations.
Beyond the enforcement of number plate regulations, the operation will also focus on ensuring free-flowing traffic along designated routes, providing emergency rescue services and clearing road obstructions.
Speaking on the exercise, Mohammed said the Corps would no longer treat the use of fake, concealed, defaced or obsolete number plates as a minor traffic offence because of its wider implications for public safety and national security.
He urged motorists to ensure that their vehicle registration plates were genuine, valid, clearly visible and properly displayed, while calling on the public to cooperate with FRSC personnel during the operation.
The Corps Marshal also directed officers involved in the exercise to maintain professionalism, discipline and respect for citizens’ rights. He particularly stressed that interactions involving diplomatic number plates must be conducted with appropriate courtesy and in line with applicable diplomatic protocols.
