The FCT Police Command on Friday announced the discovery of a criminal network allegedly involved in producing and distributing fake diplomatic and government number plates used to evade security checks and gain access to restricted locations.
FCT Commissioner of Police Ahmed Sanusi said the syndicate was uncovered through investigations launched after concerns over the increasing misuse of official-looking registration plates within Abuja.
He explained that some individuals obtained the fake plates for between N500,000 and N1.7 million, suggesting they were willing to spend heavily because of the criminal purposes they intended to pursue.
Sanusi said the fake plates allowed unauthorized persons to pass security checkpoints, enter government facilities and ministries without proper scrutiny because of the perception attached to diplomatic and official vehicles.
The commissioner disclosed that suspects linked to the illegal plates had been arrested and would face prosecution after investigations are concluded, while manufacturers operating outside the FCT had also been identified.
He said investigators were tracking the producers of the fake plates and deliberately withheld further details to avoid compromising efforts to apprehend other members of the criminal network.
Sanusi urged residents and journalists to report suspicious vehicles carrying diplomatic-style number plates, noting that genuine diplomatic registrations follow recognised patterns and are issued through proper channels.
The police commissioner also revealed the recovery of vandalised public assets, including drainage covers, solar street lights, armoured electricity cables and internet communication cables stolen from various parts of the capital.
He said the recoveries followed intelligence-led operations and patrols across areas including Maitama, Garki, Durumi, Jabi, Apo Legislative Quarters, Lugbe and Nyanya, leading to the arrest of five suspects.
Sanusi described the theft of public infrastructure as economic sabotage, warning scrap dealers and buyers involved in receiving stolen government property that the police would pursue every link in the criminal supply chain.
He assured residents that recovered items would be handed over to the FCT Administration for restoration, while reaffirming the command’s commitment to improving security through intelligence operations and public cooperation.
