The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Niger Sector Command, has begun enforcing Operation Gunduma Phase 2 in Niger to curb the use of fake, defaced, covered and obsolete vehicle number plates.

The FRSC Niger sector commander, Aishat Saadu, disclosed this while speaking on Monday in Minna.

She explained that the exercise would run from Monday to Friday as a special nationwide operation approved by the corps marshal to address security concerns associated with the misuse of vehicle registration number plates.

Ms Saadu said the operation was designed to ensure that all vehicles plying Nigerian roads had genuine, valid and properly displayed registration number plates.

“The primary objective of Operation Gunduma Phase 2 is to ensure that all vehicles operating on Nigerian roads have genuine, valid and properly displayed registration number plates,” she said.

Ms Saadu explained that the exercise is beyond routine traffic enforcement, describing it as “a strategic intervention aimed at strengthening national security, improving vehicle identification and promoting accountability on our highways.”

She emphasised the importance of compliance with registration requirements.

The sector commander called on motorists, transport unions, vehicle dealers and other stakeholders to support the operation by ensuring that vehicles under their control complied with relevant registration regulations, particularly by verifying the authenticity and validity of their number plates.

She advised motorists to ensure that their registration plates were properly displayed without obstruction, alteration or concealment, noting that adherence to the requirements would enhance vehicle identification and contribute to safer roads and improved security across the country.

Ms Saadu also appealed to the media to partner with the FRSC in educating the public on the importance of genuine vehicle registration and the security implications of number plate violations.

She urged journalists to disseminate information that would encourage voluntary compliance with the nationwide exercise.

Ms Saadu assured the public that FRSC personnel participating in the enforcement had been directed to maintain professionalism, discipline, and fairness in discharging their duties.

The sector commander restated the corps’ commitment to conducting the operation in accordance with established procedures and lawful directives.

“I also wish to emphasise that the operation is intended to promote compliance, protect lives and support national security rather than cause unnecessary hardship to road users,” she stated.

Ms Saadu said the initiative was designed to safeguard motorists and strengthen public confidence in road safety enforcement.

The sector commander thereafter led FRSC personnel to a major road in Minna for enforcement, where some vehicles were impounded for using defaced and obsolete number plates. 

(NAN)