TheCable

Usman Baba, inspector-general of police (IGP), has ordered the suspension of the issuance of permits for tinted glasses and SPY number plates for vehicles across the country.

Baba gave the order on Monday at a conference with police commissioners and senior officers in Abuja.

The supernumerary (SPY) police numbers are expected to offer security privileges to those who use them.

However, according to the IGP, some individuals have been fraudulently acquiring permits for tinted glasses and SPY number plates.

He explained that SPY number plates should be for the official use of some categories of corporate bodies, while tinted glass permits should only be issued according to statutory regulations.

“Accordingly, henceforth, the issuance of SPY number plates and tinted glass permits are hereby suspended,” Baba said.

“The existing authorisations are being reviewed and a protocol to regulate the issuance of such permits will be evolved.

“In due course, an enforcement mechanism that will enforce the standardised process of issuance of SPY number plates and tinted glasses will be implemented across the country.”

The IGP also maintained that the ban on roadblocks remains in force, and warned that any officer caught violating the directive will be dealt with.

“I have been receiving reports that some commissioners of police are still allowing the mounting of roadblocks in their jurisdictions,” he said.

“For the avoidance of doubt, road blocks under any description or guise, remain banned across the country and any officer found to be contravening this order will be liable and dealt with firmly.

“The society has evolved and as law enforcement operatives, we must align our policing strategies to this societal dynamic.”