The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, Tuesday ordered all Divisional Police Officers and other heads of formations to immediately free all police stations nationwide from impounded, accidented and unregistered exhibit vehicles.
He also asked Nigerians, who have one or two vehicles in the custody of the Nigeria Police Force, to reclaim them with substantial evidence.
He said the order was predicated on the incessant embarrassing and unprofessional manner in which those vehicles were stacked within police facilities causing nuisance and disgusting sight at police stations.
The IGP, according to a statement by the Acting Force spokesman, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, frowned at the practice of stockpiling vehicles recovered from crime scenes or vehicles whose ownership is being contested or in doubt.
“The IGP further emphasizes that heads of police stations and formations should embark on due process to carry out the needful evaluation and release such vehicles in these categories, on bond, to their owners.
“The IGP reiterates that the directive is part of efforts being put in place by his administration to ensure a conducive working environment for its personnel in order to set in motion such required strategies to combat crime and criminality in the country.
“The IGP further assures that decongesting the police stations and facilities nationwide would be of great operational advantage to the Force in effectively dispensing its policing responsibilities and giving succour to the owners of such exhibit vehicles.
“The IGP equally urges all concerned members of the public to approach various police stations/formations for the recovery and claims of their vehicles, with valid proof of ownership and proper means of identification.”
