Crackdown begins! Lagos targets drivers with concealed Number Plates, fake VINs

The Lagos State Government has sounded a final and decisive warning to motorists engaging in the unlawful use of fraudulent Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) and concealed number plates, vowing immediate arrests and prosecutions for offenders.

Sola Giwa, Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, declared that the reckless defiance of traffic laws through these infractions would no longer be tolerated, emphasizing that they posed severe security threats to the state.

“The Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law, 2018, leaves no room for ambiguity—every vehicle must display its identification clearly and lawfully. Any attempt to falsify or obscure this information is a criminal act,” Giwa stated sternly.

He warned that perpetrators would be met with the full force of the law, as no provision permitted the use of counterfeit VINs or obstructed number plates.

He further stressed that the Lagos State Vehicle Identification Database served as a powerful tool in tracking registered vehicles, aiding law enforcement in identifying criminals and recovering stolen automobiles.

“Just as every person has a name, every vehicle has an assigned number plate—it must be displayed without obstruction,” he asserted.

Giwa also decried how these illicit acts hindered security agencies from tracing vehicles involved in criminal activities such as “One-Chance” robberies and other traffic violations.

In a final directive, he ordered all motorists to remove any coverings from their number plates and cease the use of fake VINs immediately.

Non-compliance, he warned, would attract swift arrest and prosecution.