FRSC Arrests 1,691 Road Traffic Offenders in Nationwide Operation Guduma

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has recorded the arrest of 1,691 traffic offenders in a nationwide enforcement operation aimed at curbing overloading, mix-loading, fake diplomatic number plates, and other vehicle identification violations across the country.

This was contained in a statement signed by Osondu Ohaeri, FNIPR, FCAI, Deputy Corps Commander and Corps Public Education Officer, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

The special intervention, codenamed Operation Guduma, was conducted simultaneously along critical transport corridors in eleven states and forms part of the Corps’ intensified efforts to improve road safety and strengthen national security.

According to a statement issued by the Corps Public Education Officer, Deputy Corps Commander Osondu Ohaeri, the operation targeted dangerous practices that continue to endanger road users and undermine lawful vehicle identification systems.

Breakdown of the arrests shows that 683 offenders were apprehended for overloading and mix-loading offences, while 1,003 persons were arrested for various number plate-related violations. The operation also led to the arrest of five suspects found using fake diplomatic number plates.

The FRSC described the outcome of the operation as both revealing and alarming, noting that it exposed a growing trend of road users exploiting illegal vehicle identities and deliberately violating safety regulations.

Speaking on the development, the Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, said the operation uncovered widespread abuse of unauthorised association number plates and other deceptive vehicle registration schemes used to evade lawful scrutiny and enforcement.

He noted that the discoveries highlighted serious vulnerabilities capable of contributing to road traffic crashes, facilitating criminal activities, and eroding public confidence in vehicle identification systems.

According to the Corps Marshal, the misuse of diplomatic number plates and persistent loading violations should not be viewed as ordinary traffic offences but as significant threats to public safety and national security.

Mohammed reaffirmed the Corps’ commitment to deploying intelligence-driven enforcement strategies to identify and dismantle such illegal practices across the country.

The operation also revealed numerous vehicles operating with dangerously unlatched containers and overloaded cargoes, conditions the Corps said substantially increase the risk of fatal crashes, injuries, property damage, and economic losses.

The FRSC boss warned that the Corps would continue to maintain a zero-tolerance stance against offenders, stressing that road safety remains a non-negotiable responsibility for all road users.
“Every preventable crash avoided translates into lives saved, families protected, and national productivity preserved,” he stated.

Encouraged by the success of Operation Guduma, the FRSC announced plans to institutionalise the intervention across major highways and transport corridors nationwide. The Corps also disclosed that it would deepen collaboration with other security and law enforcement agencies to ensure offenders are not only apprehended but effectively prosecuted.

The Corps reiterated its commitment to safeguarding lives and property on Nigerian roads through sustained enforcement, public education, and strategic partnerships aimed at promoting a safer and more secure road transport environment.