Large number of unregistered vehicles, motorcycles in Osun worries FRSC

The Federal Road Safety Corps has expressed concern over the increasing number of unregistered vehicles and motorcycles on highways across Osun State.

It warned that the development poses serious security risks.

The Osun State Command’s Sector Public Education Officer, Agnes Ogungbemi, in a statement on Sunday said many vehicles, particularly motorcycles and cars, are being operated daily without number plates or are using dealer plates illegally.

She noted that vehicle dealers are largely responsible for the problem, either by driving around with dealer plates or selling vehicles that buyers continue using with dealer tags and stickers indefinitely in violation of registration laws.

She said, “We have also identified the use of fake number plates on vehicles in the state, which is an altogether criminal act. The foregoing has serious security implications for the good people of Osun State, as some of the car owners identified are criminal elements who deliberately refuse to number their vehicles or affix them with fake plates, as they are being used as getaway vehicles for various criminal purposes.

“We have also observed a high presence of unregistered motorcycles in the state that are being ridden, purportedly for commercial purposes, but which is a cover for the criminalities the riders are involved in. Available intelligence from the DSS buttresses this development and, if left unchecked, the menace may grow to monumental proportions that will be difficult or impossible to curtail.”

The sector issued a two weeks ultimatum to the violators.

It warned that after the expiration of the grace period, there will be a week-long joint special operation with the State Board of Internal Revenue and other relevant government agencies to bring the violators in the state to book.