The FCT Police Command impounded 30 vehicles in Abuja on Friday as it renewed enforcement of tinted glass and vehicle registration rules, moving against cars officers said were being used to hide identities and frustrate checks.
Commissioner of Police Ahmed Sanusi disclosed the operation during a media briefing in the capital, saying the crackdown was driven by public safety concerns. He said the command had acted after intelligence pointed to increasing use of tinted glass vehicles and unregistered plate numbers in crimes across the Federal Capital Territory.
Sanusi said the vehicles targeted included those with tinted glasses, concealed or covered number plates and cars without proper registration. Over thirty vehicles were found operating in those conditions, and the owners and operators will be charged in court under the Laws of the Federation and the FCT Road Transport Regulations.
The police tied the enforcement to a rise in one-chance robberies, kidnappings and other criminal activity in the FCT. Sanusi said intelligence reports showed many criminal elements deliberately used such vehicles to conceal their identities, evade detection and make law enforcement harder, a threat he said the command could not ignore.
That message came with a familiar warning for legitimate motorists. The police said the enforcement was not meant to inconvenience law-abiding citizens who had valid approval for tinted glass, even as it moved to seize vehicles officers said were being used to commit crimes. What has not been disclosed is how many of the impounded vehicles had legitimate tint permits or valid registration.
The command said it would continue intelligence-led policing and proactive crime prevention, and asked residents to report suspicious persons, vehicles or activities to the nearest police station or through its emergency lines. For owners of the seized vehicles, the next step is the courtroom, where the police said the cases will be brought under the federation and FCT transport rules.
