By SituationREPORT –
The Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, has commenced the second phase of its special intervention patrol, codenamed ‘Operation Gaduma’.
This is part of renewed efforts to eliminate the growing menace of fake, covered, defaced and obsolete vehicle number plates on Nigerian roads.
A statement by the Corps Public Education Officer, CPEO, Mr Osondu Ohaeri on Saturday, October 31, 2026, in Abuja stated that the five-day operation was scheduled from tomorrow, November 2 to Friday, November 6.
Ohaeri said that it represented an escalation of the corps’ commitment to strengthening road safety enforcement while addressing emerging security concerns associated with the unlawful use of vehicle registration plates.
He said that the intervention, approved by the Corps Marshal, Malam Shehu Mohammed, would be conducted across selected states, with specially designated senior officers deployed to coordinate and supervise the exercise.
“Operation Guduma Phase Two builds on the achievements of the first phase conducted in May 2026, which recorded 1,691 arrests across 11 states.
“Of this figure, 1,003 motorists were apprehended for various number plate-related offences, 683 for overloading and mixed-loading, while five persons were arrested for using fake diplomatic number plates.
“The statistics provide a compelling indication of the scale of the challenge and the need for sustained enforcement,” he said.
Ohaeri said that the renewed intervention followed growing concerns expressed by the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, over the increasing use of fake vehicle registration plates.
These, he said, included covered, defaced, obsolete and counterfeit diplomatic plates.
He added that the security implications of the trend were considerable, particularly given the strategic importance of road transportation in the movement of persons and goods across the country.