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Usman Baba, the Inspector-General of Police, has ordered a total ban on all use of Police SPY vehicle number plates by vehicle owners across the federation, with no exceptions.
Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Force Public Relations Officer, made the announcement on Wednesday at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
“This is regardless of whether or not it is authorized, as all authorizations are hereby revoked indefinitely,” he said. “This order is required to prevent individuals hiding behind the privileges of SPY police number plates from continuing to disregard traffic rules and regulations, as well as other existing laws governing road use.”
As a result, the IGP directed police officers and officers of other security agencies attached to VIPs who use the ‘SPY’ number plates to ensure prompt compliance with the directive or risk being arrested for violation of the order.
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He asked the Commissioners of Police (CPs) in the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, as well as their supervisory Assistant Inspectors General of Police (AIGs) to give full effect to the directives.
Usman Baba specifically directed the AIGs and CPs to confiscate all current ‘SPY’ number plates, but the users of such vehicles should not be arrested unless they were law enforcement officers or officers of other security agencies on escort duty.
He did, however, warn that while carrying out their duties, officers must ensure that citizens’ rights and privileges are respected in accordance with local laws and international best practices.
“Other security agencies and members of the public are urged to work with the police in this regard as the moves aim to strengthen our internal security,” Olumuyiwa Adejobi said.
