MATTERS ARISING: Private citizens use SPY no. plates illegally — will IGP’s clampdown work this time?

Between the office of the inspector-general of police (IGP), various commands of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), there have been several announcements issuing directives against the illegal use of supernumerary police (SPY) number plates.

Despite directives bordering on clampdown, impound, seizure and arrests, SPY number plates have still found their way into the hands of ordinary citizens.

In June 2021, Usman Baba, the IGP, ordered the suspension of the issuance of permits for tinted glasses and SPY number plates, adding that some individuals have been fraudulently acquiring permits for them.

“The existing authorisations are being reviewed and a protocol to regulate the issuance of such permits will be evolved,” he had said.

The directive of the IGP was re-echoed by some state commissioners of police, who gave the assurance of strict enforcement.

But this is not the first time such a directive will be issued by an IGP.

In February 2020, Mohammed Adamu, the former IGP, ordered commissioners of police to impound all vehicles using illegal SPY number plates, sirens, and revolving lights and ensure prosecution of offenders.

WHO CAN USE SPY NUMBER PLATES?

In January 2021, Hakeem Odumosu, Lagos police commissioner, said any vehicle in the state with the inscription of PILOT, ESCORT, or SPY will be impounded and the policemen attached to it would be arrested.

“The SPY numbers are for operational vehicles. A situation where you put SPY numbers on Jeeps is completely against the law and we will begin to impound such vehicles,” he had said.

“We will start our operation in Victoria Island, Ikoyi, and other high-brow areas where these big men who know the law but are violating them, reside.”

WHO ARE SPY POLICE OFFICERS?

SPY police are individuals mainstreamed into the police force on a temporary basis to perform certain policing functions, mostly at the request of private organisations or government officials.

SPY police officers are usually deployed to protect public and private facilities or carry out certain functions that require security.

According to the Nigeria Police Act 2020, SPY police officers are not paid by the NPF, but by private organisations that request their services.

The Act also provides that a SPY police officer can be appointed as an orderly to a minister, commissioner, or police officer above the rank of assistant commissioner.

SPY police officers may perform the function of driving operational vehicles such as trucks meant to transport legal tenders and other sensitive items, and it is for this reason that they are issued SPY number plates which are approved by the office of the IGP.

ABUSE OF SPY POLICE NUMBERS

On several occasions, police authorities have lamented that individuals hide under the privileges of SPY police number plates to disregard traffic rules and regulations. Another commonly reported abuse is the use of SPY police number plates on luxury cars.

In January 2019, officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested six suspected internet fraudsters in a hotel in Rumuigbo, Port Harcourt, Rivers state capital.

Among items allegedly recovered from the suspects was a car with a SPY number plate — a development that sparked questions on how easy it is for ordinary citizens to get the number plate.

BREACH OF FRSC ACT OF 2007

Under section 10 (4)(h) of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Act 2007, it is an offence to drive a vehicle without a valid vehicle licence or identification.

The section states that the FRSC has the power to arrest and prosecute a person for “being on a road without a valid vehicle licence or identification mark being displayed”.

In the same vein, section 36 of the National Road Traffic Regulations (NRTR) 2012 has the same provision.

However, the FRSC fine for number plate violations currently stands at N3,000.

HAVE EFFORTS BY POLICE, FRSC YIELDED RESULTS?

When contacted on efforts to address the illegal issuance of SPY number plates and on if arrests have been made, Frank Mba, spokesman of the NPF, didn’t respond to calls or messages.

Bisi Kazeem, the spokesman of the FRSC, initially promised to respond. When he was contacted 24 hours later, he said the agency is “working” on the responses and abruptly ended the call.

‘MANY VIPs ARRESTED’

Olumuyiwa Adejobi, former spokesman of the Lagos police command, said the directive by Hakeem Odumosu yielded results as many high-profile individuals were arrested for illegal use of SPY number plates.

“During my time as PPRO, Lagos, many arrest were made in connection with the illegal use or inappropriate use of SPY number plates. The CP Lagos, Hakeem Odumosu, personally detests the wrongful use of the number,” he told TheCable.

“Many VIPs were arrested by the CP. Before you can use SPY number, it must be fixed on a truck, that is pick-up, or Hilux — not SUV or jeep — and that vehicle must be driven by a trained SPY driver.

“It is generally approved for companies, especially corporate firms, mainly financial institutions — not just for private use.

“The enforcement of the IGP’s order on this is being intensified at all levels.”

Meanwhile, Nnamdi Omoni, Rivers police spokesperson, told TheCable that vehicles have been seized in the state since the directive was issued in 2016, but didn’t provide the statistics on the seizures.

“For that directive on the ban of SPY number plates, tinted glasses, and revolving lights, there is a committee that was set up by the commissioner of police. The committee has been alive at the game,” Omoni said.

“The committee is enforcing it; all the DPOs have been directed to enforce it at their own level. If they see anybody contravening it, they will arrest and impound the vehicle and charge the person to court.”

Also speaking on what the FCT task force set up in 2018 achieved, Mariam Yusuf, FCT police spokesperson, said “strategic measures” have been taken to checkmate the illegal use of the SPY plates.

“We have deployed strategic measures to checkmate the illegal use of SPY number plates as directed by the IGP Alkali Usman Baba,” she replied via a text message.