FRSC records 6,454 traffic offences, seizes five fake diplomatic plates

One of the seized vehicles. CREDIT: FRSC

The Federal Road Safety Corps has recorded 6,454 traffic offences and more than 1,600 number plate violations, including five vehicles bearing fake diplomatic number plates, during the second phase of its nationwide enforcement operation, code-named Operation GUDUMA II.

The operation, conducted from November 2 to 6, 2026, covered 12 states and the Federal Capital Territory as part of efforts to tackle vehicle identity fraud and other traffic violations.

The FRSC disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday by its Corps Public Education Officer, Osondu Ohaeri, who said the exercise was designed to strengthen surveillance, expose fraudulent vehicle identities and ensure compliance with vehicle registration and traffic regulations.

The operation covered Lagos, Ondo, Cross River, Benue, Niger, Sokoto, Taraba, Bauchi, Imo, Abia, Kano and the FCT.

According to the statement, the operation followed concerns raised by the National Assembly and the Office of the National Security Adviser over the security implications of vehicle identity violations.

“The results were significant. Five vehicles bearing fake diplomatic number plates were intercepted, while more than 1,600 number plate-related violations and 6,454 other traffic offences were recorded. The scale of these violations underscores the urgent need for sustained enforcement and greater public vigilance against the misuse of vehicle identification systems,” the statement read.

It added, “A comparison with the first phase of Operation GUDUMA, which recorded 1,003 number plate violations and 683 other traffic offences, reveals a substantial increase in the number of violations detected during the second phase.”

Commenting on the exercise, the Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed,  said the FRSC would not allow Nigerian roads to be exploited by individuals seeking to conceal their identities, evade law enforcement or compromise national security through fraudulent vehicle documentation.

• Road crashes killed 3,445 Nigerians in nine months — FRSC
• Lagos-Ibadan crash: Injured passenger dies in hospital
• 13 injured in Lagos-Ibadan Expressway crash

He described vehicle number plates as critical instruments of national security, vehicle traceability and law enforcement, rather than mere identification accessories.

Mohammed also assured Nigerians that Operation GUDUMA would be sustained and progressively expanded to other states, with operational strategies strengthened through improved personnel deployment, inter-agency collaboration and intelligence-led enforcement.

The Corps warned motorists against using fake, unauthorised, concealed or improperly displayed number plates, stressing that “no individual or vehicle is above the law”.

It urged motorists to ensure that their vehicles carry duly registered and approved number plates and comply with traffic regulations.

The FRSC said the operation was aimed at ensuring that “Nigerian roads must not become safe havens for identity fraud, criminal concealment or traffic indiscipline”.