By Nkechi Eze
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has recorded 1,691 arrests in a special nationwide enforcement operation aimed at curbing overloading, mix-loading, fake diplomatic number plates and other vehicle identification offences across the country.
According to an official signed statement by the Corps Public Education Officer, FRSC, Deputy Corps Commander Osondu Ohaeri, the operation, codenamed Operation Guduma, was conducted simultaneously across critical transport corridors in eleven states under the leadership of the Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed.
The statement disclosed that the intervention targeted dangerous road practices and fraudulent vehicle identification violations that continue to endanger lives and pose security risks nationwide.
Results from the operation showed that 683 offenders were arrested for overloading and mix-loading violations, while 1,003 arrests were made for number plate-related offences. Additionally, five suspects were apprehended for the use of fake diplomatic number plates.
The FRSC noted that the operation exposed what it described as a growing culture of impunity among some road users who exploit illegal vehicle identities and disregard established road safety regulations. Investigations also uncovered widespread abuse of unauthorised association number plates and other deceptive registration schemes allegedly used to evade lawful scrutiny.
Reacting to the outcome of the operation, Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed described the findings as both revealing and alarming, warning that the identified violations have the potential to contribute to road traffic crashes, facilitate criminal activities and undermine confidence in the nation’s vehicle identification system.
He stressed that the misuse of diplomatic number plates and persistent loading violations should not be viewed merely as traffic offences but as serious threats to public safety and national security.
The Corps Marshal further stated that the FRSC would continue to deploy intelligence-driven enforcement strategies to identify and dismantle such illegal practices wherever they occur.
The operation also uncovered numerous vehicles operating with dangerously unlatched containers and overloaded cargoes, conditions the Corps said significantly increase the risk of fatal crashes, loss of lives and economic disruptions.
Mohammed reaffirmed the Corps’ commitment to maintaining a zero-tolerance approach toward road safety violations, emphasizing that road safety remains non-negotiable.
He noted that every preventable crash avoided translates into lives saved, families protected and national productivity preserved.
Buoyed by the success of Operation Guduma, the FRSC announced plans to institutionalise the enforcement exercise across major transport corridors nationwide. The Corps also disclosed that it would strengthen collaboration with other security and law enforcement agencies to ensure that offenders are not only apprehended but also prosecuted in accordance with the law.
