What every car owner in Nigeria needs to know before the police crackdown begins.

Precious Omolu 14:01 - 10 June 2026

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The Nigeria Police Force has launched a massive nationwide clampdown targeting any vehicle operating without approved, visible registration plates

The Nigeria Police Force will begin a nationwide crackdown on vehicles without registration number plates as IGP Olatunji Disu deploys DIGs across geopolitical zones to strengthen security and improve policing coordination.

The IGP has deployed Deputy Inspectors General of Police to Nigeria's six geopolitical zones to improve supervision, accountability and faster response to security threats.
Police commands in neighbouring states have been directed to carry out joint patrols and share intelligence to stop criminals from exploiting state boundaries.
Vehicles without registration plates, or with concealed or tampered number plates, will be stopped and subjected to legal action as part of a nationwide enforcement drive.

Nigerian motorists driving without valid registration number plates could soon face stricter enforcement as the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has ordered an immediate nationwide crackdown on unregistered vehicles.

The directive comes as part of a broader security strategy unveiled during a conference with senior police officers in Abuja on Tuesday, where the IGP also approved the deployment of Deputy Inspectors General of Police (DIGs) to Nigeria's six geopolitical zones.

According to Disu, the deployment, which takes effect from June 15, 2026, is aimed at improving police supervision, strengthening accountability and bringing top-level leadership closer to operational activities across the country.

“In furtherance of our operational objective, I have approved the deployment of Deputy Inspectors General of Police to their respective geopolitical zones with effect from Monday, June 15, 2026.

“This initiative is designed to strengthen supervision, improve operational coordination, enhance accountability and provide strategic oversight of policing activities within their zones.

“This deployment is not ceremonial; it is intended to bring leadership closer to the field, improve response mechanisms and ensure that emergencies and priority threats receive prompt attention,” the IGP said.

IGP Olatunji Disu announced the deployment of DIGs to geopolitical zones and ordered instant grounding for plate-defaulters to combat hiding criminals.

Disu directed the newly deployed DIGs to work closely with Assistant Inspectors General of Police (AIGs) and Commissioners of Police (CPs) to ensure operational directives are effectively implemented and measurable results are achieved.

Police order joint border patrols between states

To prevent criminals from escaping across state lines, neighboring commands are deploying joint border patrols and real-time intelligence channels.

The police chief also raised concerns about criminals exploiting state boundaries to evade arrest, directing Commissioners of Police in neighbouring states to establish coordinated "handshake patrols."

According to him, security agencies must stop treating crime as a purely territorial issue because offenders often commit crimes in one state and escape into another.

“Too often offenders exploit the jurisdictional gap by committing crimes in one state and escaping to another,” he said.

Disu instructed police commands to conduct coordinated patrols along shared borders, maintain active intelligence-sharing channels and launch joint operations whenever necessary.

The move is expected to improve collaboration among state commands and reduce delays in responding to cross-border criminal activities such as kidnapping, armed robbery and terrorism.

Police target vehicles without number plates

In what could directly affect thousands of vehicle owners nationwide, the IGP ordered police commands and tactical units to intensify enforcement against vehicles operating without registration plates.

He warned that vehicles with missing, concealed, tampered or deliberately obscured number plates would no longer be tolerated.

“Every vehicle operating on our roads must be properly registered and must display its approved registration number in accordance with the law.

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“Any vehicle found without number plates or with a deliberately obscured, concealed or tampered registration number will be stopped, grounded and subjected to the appropriate legal process.”

The police boss linked the use of unregistered vehicles to criminal activities, saying kidnappers, terrorists and other offenders frequently rely on such vehicles to avoid detection and frustrate investigations.

He directed all Commissioners of Police and tactical commanders across the country to enforce the order without favouritism or selective treatment.

Police record arrests, recover weapons and rescue kidnap victims

Recent aggressive intelligence sweeps across the country successfully rescued 88 kidnap victims and recovered 28 stolen vehicles.

Highlighting recent policing achievements, Disu disclosed that security operations carried out by the force led to the arrest of eight suspected terrorists, 29 murder suspects, 65 armed robbery suspects, 55 kidnapping suspects and 42 other criminal suspects.

The operations also resulted in the recovery of 843 rounds of ammunition of different calibres and 28 stolen vehicles.

In addition, the police rescued 88 kidnapped victims from various locations across the country.

The latest directives come amid growing concerns over insecurity and the challenges posed by Nigeria's federal policing structure, which security experts say has often allowed criminals to exploit jurisdictional boundaries while slowing operational coordination between state commands.