Drivers using dealer number plates as regular plates are facing tougher checks across Lagos after the Vehicle Inspection Service apprehended 175 vehicles for allegedly breaking the rules.
The state says dealer plates have limited uses and cannot replace permanent vehicle registration. The latest enforcement targets motorists and dealers using them outside those approved situations as Lagos moves to make vehicles on its roads easier to identify.
Lagos Explains When Dealer Number Plates Can Be Used
Bolanle Ogunlola, Director of Public Affairs at the Ministry of Transportation, said dealer number plates are meant for specific movements involving vehicles that have not yet received their regular registration.
They can be used for authorised test drives, vehicle inspections, delivery or collection of vehicles and moving unregistered cars from ports or approved dealer premises to designated locations.
Motorists cannot use dealer plates for their daily commute or keep them on vehicles for continuous use on public roads. A car that has already been sold cannot continue using a dealer plate simply because its owner is waiting for permanent registration.
The government said the restrictions are covered by the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law, 2018.
As part of the current enforcement, officials will confiscate dealer plates recovered from vehicles found to have breached the rules.
The state is also widening its checks to registration offences beyond dealer plates. Vehicles carrying fake or unauthorised numbers, hidden plates or registration numbers being used incorrectly could be impounded, while those responsible may face prosecution under relevant traffic laws.
Officials say the enforcement is meant to make vehicles easier to identify on Lagos roads and improve accountability and road safety. The state says the checks will continue.
Lagos Widens Crackdown on Road Disturbances as Car Spotters Enter the Picture
Lagos is paying more attention to activities that disturb traffic and make roads harder to use, especially road begging, harassment and people stopping vehicles.
Beyond number plate enforcement, Lagos officials are also turning their attention to other activities that disrupt traffic, including street begging, harassment and people stopping vehicles.
Deputy Governor and 2027 governorship candidate Obafemi Hamzat raised the issue during an interview. He said stopping vehicles on the road is criminal and warned that the state would act against those involved. Hamzat also said road cameras had helped officials identify some people, with arrests already made and some cases taken to court.
His comments quickly drew responses from the car-spotting community and social voices.
Popular spotter @thatlekkicarguy argued that car spotters should not be grouped with beggars or people who harass and rob motorists. Daddy Freeze, a popular media personality, acknowledged that while some spotters go too far by chasing or blocking cars, he stressed that instead of a ban, Lagos should regulate the activity instead of treating all spotters as lawbreakers.
He suggested clearer rules and police presence at popular car-spotting locations.
