The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has launched a strategic enforcement exercise codenamed Operation Guduma in Anambra State to clamp down on the use of fake diplomatic and government number plates as well as curb dangerous overloading on Nigerian roads.
The initiative was unveiled in Awka on Monday by the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Shehu Mohammed, who was represented by Assistant Corps Marshal Oko Etuali, Head of the Transport Union Coordination Unit.
Mohammed said the operation became necessary following intelligence revealing widespread abuse of diplomatic and ambassadorial number plates by unauthorized individuals, a development he described as a growing security concern amid the country’s prevailing insecurity challenges.
“We discovered that most people are faking ambassadorial or diplomatic number plates and using them to ply the roads,” he said. “Considering the insecurity in the country, the corps launched this strategic intervention patrol to ensure that all those using fake ambassadorial number plates and other illegal government number plates are brought to book.”
He explained that the FRSC is statutorily responsible for designing and producing number plates, while state governments handle issuance to officials. He added that misuse often occurs during transitions of government, when former officeholders fail to return official plates after leaving office.
“Most of the time, during handover processes or change of government, many former officials fail to return the number plates issued to them,” Mohammed said, noting that official plates carry expiry dates that make them identifiable.
According to him, enforcement under Operation Guduma has already begun in some states, with Anambra and Enugu slated for intensive coverage from May 18 to May 22.
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On overloading, the Corps Marshal warned that FRSC’s newly established Transport Union Coordination Unit has commenced sensitisation campaigns across motor parks to educate drivers on the dangers of excessive loading of passengers and goods.
“The mentality of many drivers is that the more passengers or goods they load, the more money they make, without considering the safety of other road users,” he said. “After the enlightenment campaign, we will move to enforcement and any driver caught overloading will be sanctioned to serve as a deterrent and reduce the menace on our roads.”
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