A senior journalist in Osun State has called the attention of the state Commissioner of Police, Olawale Olokode to the upsurge in the number of private vehicles without registration numbers, but rather cover their number plates with Police SPY inscription.
In a statement in Osogbo, Chief Kola Olabisi added that development is contrary to the directive of the Inspector-General of Police, Alkali Baba Usman issued a few months ago.
According to Olabisi, the number of such vehicles that do not conform with the statutory eligibility means of identification of vehicles is becoming difficult in the state both during the day and the night.
He said the Police Commissioner should give the identified vehicular anomaly an urgent and priority attention.
The journalist, who is the Media Adviser to the Osun State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Prince Gboyega Famodun, disclosed that it is not impossible for criminally-minded people to hide under the cover of driving unidentifiable vehicles to perpetrate their acts with concealed identity.
He further said that his observation over the time has shown that some undesirable elements, who are not legally eligible to use the security numbers, are fond of illegally beating vehicular hold-ups in Osogbo in particular, and across the state.
In Olabisi’s words: “What is at stake is security of lives of the citizens. It is important for the police authorities and their sister statutory security agencies to treat the issue with dispatch in order to safeguard the lives of the innocent people of Osun State.
“It is more worrisome that within the past one month or thereabouts, the number of such non-identifiable vehicles is higher during the evenings with their drivers driving with reckless abandon along the streets of Osogbo.
“Checkmating the excesses of such non-conformist drivers irrespective of their social standing in the society will go a long way in preventing or minimising commission of crimes with impunity”, the media adviser remarked.
Olabisi also cautioned government officials and other individuals who do not fall within the category of those legally permitted to use such security number plates to quickly make an amend in order not to run foul of the law of the land.
He reminded all the residents of the state to continue to co-operate with the police authorities as security is a joint task of all and sundry.
