Mr Okunlola Kamaldeen, Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 6, Calabar, has ordered commissioners of police in Cross River and Akwa Ibom to begin enforcement on ban of SPY number plates.
A statement by DSP Nelson Okpabi, Public Relations Officer of Zone 6 on Saturday in Calabar said the order was in compliance with directives of the Inspector- General of Police, Mr Usman Baba.
“This order is necessary to forestall the continuous disregard for traffic rules and regulations and other extant laws guiding road usage by individuals hiding under the privileges of SPY police number plates.
“The AIG reiterate IGP’s directive for Police officers and other sister security agencies attached to important personalities with SPY number plates to ensure immediate reversal to the original registered numbers.
“Violators of the order will not be spared and commissioners of police, area commanders, divisional police officers and tactical teams have been directed to ensure that all SPY number plates currently in use are confiscated.’’
He, however, said that the owners of such vehicles should not be arrested unless they were police officers or officers of other security agencies on escort duties.
He urged residents of the two states and sister security agencies to cooperate with the Police as they enforced the directive which he said was meant to strengthen internal security.
He also assured the citizens that the officers had been warned to be civil, cautious and polite to avoid trampling on fundamental and civic rights.
