It is a criminal offense, according to the Nigeria Police Force, for car owners and drivers to cover their license plates without a legal justification.
Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Police Force Public Relations Officer, announced this on Twitter on Friday.
He stated that registration numbers must be displayed at all times.
He said, “It is a common thing to see many vehicle owners and drivers cover their number plates; for no reason, this is wrong and even criminal.
“You don’t cover your number plate for any reason. It is as important and compulsory for all vehicles to be duly registered, so it’s compulsory to make registration numbers visible at all times.”
He did, however, make an exemption for “pennant officers” and heads of the three branches of government, the executive, legislative, and judicial, who use pennants or flags on their official vehicles.
“The seal of their offices or ranks (for military or police) goes with their numbers and pennants.
”Once it’s 6 p.m., the pennant must go down and their numbers covered, or when they are not in the car while the drivers move their cars.
”The flags must be covered with the reg number or their seal of office on their cars. This impunity must stop in Nigeria, and we need to know the right thing to do.
”Our officers, men, and other traffic management agencies are aware of this and hereby urged to go after any violator, as such is criminal.
”It encourages recklessness and crimes with impunity. Let’s collectively kick against it,” he said.
The NPF had already prohibited the unlawful use of unmarked vehicles and covered number plates across the country.
