The Kwara State Police Command will begin impounding vehicles with covered, defaced, or missing number plates across the state on Monday, June 15, 2026, in a sweeping security operation aimed at stripping criminals of anonymity on public roads.
The directive, issued by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, targets what the Command calls a growing tactic by criminals who use obscured or unregistered vehicles to carry out kidnappings, robberies, and other violent crimes undetected.
Commissioner of Police, CP Ojo Adekimi, has ordered all Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers, and the State Traffic Officer to begin “full-scale enforcement” in their jurisdictions starting Monday.
“Any vehicle found in violation of the directive shall be impounded and subjected to thorough investigation in accordance with extant laws,” CP Adekimi said.
The Command stressed that no one will be exempt. “There will be no preferential treatment, exemption, or special consideration for any individual or organisation found contravening this directive, irrespective of status, position, or influence,” the statement read. “The law will be applied fairly, firmly, and without compromise.”
Under the new enforcement, vehicles with covered, obscured, unauthorized, defaced, altered, or no registration plates will be taken off the road. Drivers must ensure plates are “duly issued, valid, and clearly visible” at all times and keep vehicle documents current for inspection.
Police say the exercise is not designed to punish law-abiding motorists but to close a critical security loophole. “Criminals have increasingly exploited concealed or unregistered vehicles to perpetrate unlawful acts,” said SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, Police Public Relations Officer, who signed the statement on Saturday, June 14, 2026.
“This exercise is a deliberate and proactive security measure aimed at improving the identification of vehicles, enhancing criminal investigations, tracking fleeing suspects, and strengthening the overall security architecture of Kwara State.”
The move comes amid rising concern over bandit attacks and kidnappings in rural Kwara, including recent incidents in Ifelodun LGA where attackers reportedly used vehicles without traceable plates. Security experts say visible registration is often the first lead in post-incident investigations.
The Command warned that “any person who deliberately covers, tampers with, alters, or operates a vehicle without proper registration number plates does so at their own risk and should be prepared to face the full weight of the law.”
Enforcement officers have been directed to act “professionally, impartially, and without fear or favour.”
Residents are urged to support the initiative and report suspicious vehicles or movements to the Command’s emergency lines: *0703 206 9501* and *0812 527 5046*.
The Kwara Police Command said it remains “resolute in its commitment to protecting lives and property” and called for public cooperation “in the collective interest of public safety and security.”
