Police Deploy DIGs to Target Vehicles with Concealed Plates in Oyo Abduction Investigation

Inspector‑General of Police, IGP Tunji Disu, has directed senior officers to intensify efforts to rescue students abducted in Oyo State.

Disu also launched a nationwide campaign to target vehicles with concealed or altered registration plates, which authorities say are frequently used in criminal operations.

The announcements were made during a meeting with senior police officials in Abuja on Tuesday, where the recent abduction of school children and teachers in Oyo State was discussed.

“The families and the citizens of Nigeria can rely on the full operational capacity of the force, in collaboration with other security agencies, dedicated to ensuring their safe return,” Disu said. “We are making headway and will not cease our efforts until all hostages are safely home.”

The IGP ordered deputy inspectors‑general of police (DIGs) to be deployed across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones beginning June 15 to improve supervision, operational coordination, and accountability within the force.

Security challenges in Nigeria—including banditry, kidnappings, insurgency, and communal violence—have made school abductions a growing concern.

Disu highlighted several operational successes since the last conference in March, including the arrest of suspected terrorists, kidnappers, murder suspects, and armed robbery suspects. He reported that 88 kidnapping victims have been rescued, and firearms, ammunition, and stolen vehicles recovered.

He cited a recent operation in the Federal Capital Territory where five suspected kidnappers were apprehended before they could carry out planned attacks in Abuja.

The police chief instructed commissioners of police in neighboring states to implement “handshake patrols” along key entry and exit routes to improve intelligence sharing and close jurisdictional gaps that criminals often exploit.

Disu further mandated an immediate enforcement initiative targeting vehicles operating without registration plates or with concealed, altered, or defaced numbers.

“Any vehicle discovered lacking number plates, or possessing deliberately obscured, concealed, or tampered registration numbers, will be halted, impounded, and subjected to the relevant legal proceedings,” he stated.

The IGP noted that unregistered vehicles are often used by kidnappers, terrorists, and other criminal organizations to evade detection.

He directed police commanders nationwide to intensify enforcement activities, emphasizing that there would be no preferential treatment for violators.