OYO KIDNAPPING: DIGS DEPLOYED AS POLICE TARGET VEHICLES WITH HIDDEN PLATES

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By: Tajudeen Aminat

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Tunji Disu, has deployed senior officers to strengthen operations aimed at rescuing students abducted in Oyo State.

He also ordered a nationwide crackdown on vehicles with concealed or tampered registration numbers, which authorities say are frequently used in criminal activities.

Disu gave the directive during a meeting with senior police officers in Abuja on Tuesday, where the recent abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State was reviewed.

He assured Nigerians of the police force’s commitment to securing the safe return of all victims.

“The families and citizens of Nigeria can rely on the full operational capacity of the force, working with other security agencies, to ensure their safe return,” he said. “We are making progress and will not stop until all hostages are brought home safely.”

The police chief also announced that Deputy Inspectors-General of Police (DIGs) will be deployed across the country’s geopolitical zones from June 15 to improve supervision, coordination, and accountability within the force.

He noted that Nigeria continues to face security challenges, including banditry, kidnapping, insurgency, and communal clashes, with school abductions becoming a recurring concern in recent years.

According to him, the police have recorded operational successes since their last meeting in March, including the arrest of suspected terrorists, kidnappers, murder suspects, and armed robbers, as well as the rescue of 88 kidnapped victims and the recovery of firearms, ammunition, and stolen vehicles.

Disu also revealed that five suspected kidnappers were recently arrested in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) before they could carry out planned attacks in Abuja.

He directed commissioners of police in neighbouring states to introduce “handshake patrols” along key routes to improve intelligence sharing and close operational gaps often exploited by criminals.

The IGP further ordered strict enforcement against vehicles without number plates or those with altered, concealed, or defaced registration numbers.

He warned that such vehicles would be impounded and offenders prosecuted.

Disu stressed that unregistered or disguised vehicles are commonly used by kidnappers, terrorists, and other criminal groups to evade detection.

He added that police commanders nationwide must intensify enforcement, insisting that no offender would be given preferential treatment.