The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has uncovered a criminal network involved in the production and circulation of fake diplomatic and official government number plates allegedly used by criminals to evade security checks and gain access to restricted locations.
The Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, disclosed this on Friday during a press briefing at the command headquarters in Abuja, saying investigations had exposed both the users of the counterfeit plates and the supply chain behind their production.
According to him, the investigation was launched shortly after he assumed office following reports that diplomatic and government registration plates were increasingly being used by unauthorised persons.
“Upon my assumption of duty as the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, my attention was drawn to the proliferation and unauthorized use of diplomatic and official government licence plate numbers by unauthorized individuals. I immediately ordered a comprehensive investigation into this disturbing trend, which revealed that these individuals use such plate numbers as a cover to perpetrate crimes within the Federal Capital Territory and evade detection and arrest,” Sanusi said.
The police commissioner said several fake diplomatic and government number plates had been recovered, while suspects linked to the illegal operation were in custody and would be charged to court after investigations.
“The suspects from whom these plate numbers were recovered are currently in custody and will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigation,” he said.
Sanusi disclosed that investigators had also identified those producing the counterfeit plates, although they operate outside the FCT.
“We are on their trail. We’ve gotten their identities. That’s why we are not displaying our suspects regarding this so that they will not know that we are coming after them,” he added.
He revealed that some buyers paid between ₦500,000 and ₦1.7 million to obtain the fake number plates, suggesting the documents were acquired to facilitate criminal activities.
“Some of these things are ranging between ₦500,000 to ₦1.7 million for them to procure. This will tell you that they are making such huge expenditure because they have an agenda to fulfil with it,” he said.
Sanusi urged residents to report vehicles bearing suspicious diplomatic registration numbers, noting that authentic diplomatic plates follow an established format.
“They use these fake numbers to beat security checkpoints. They use them to go into ministries and parastatals unstopped because everybody feels once you are a diplomat or have these plates, you are a big man. Help us identify them. Raise an alarm and we will arrest them,” he said.
The commissioner also announced the recovery of stolen public infrastructure during separate intelligence-led operations across several parts of the FCT, including drainage covers, solar-powered street lights, armoured electricity cables and internet communication cables.
He described the vandalism of public assets as economic sabotage and warned scrap dealers and other receivers of stolen government property that the command had widened its investigation to dismantle the entire criminal network behind the theft and disposal of public infrastructure.
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