By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Following a comprehensive security assessment ahead of the November 8, 2025 governorship election, the Anambra State Police Command has tightened surveillance issuing strong warning against the indiscriminate use of vehicles without number plates or with covered registration numbers across the state.

This, it said in a statement by the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Tochukwu Ikenga, is part of its ongoing security measures ahead of the polls to ensure a hitch-free electoral exercise in the state.

The statement which was made available to journalists in Awka on Thursday described the increasing use of unregistered or covered vehicles on Anambra roads as a serious security threat capable of undermining public safety and aiding criminal activities.

The Command cited that such vehicles are often used by criminal elements to perpetrate offences, evade security checks, or cause disruption during sensitive periods like elections.

The statement reads in part: "in line with the new enforcement order, the Commissioner of Police has directed all Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers, and Tactical Commanders to intensify patrols, conduct thorough stop-and-search operations, and impound any vehicle found without proper registration or with obscured number plates."

While warning that offenders will face prosecution under existing traffic and security law, the Command further said: "The measure is part of the Command’s proactive efforts to forestall acts capable of endangering public peace and to complement other ongoing inter-agency security operations designed to secure lives and property before, during, and after the gubernatorial poll."

It urged residents of the state to cooperate with the Police by adhering strictly to traffic and security guidelines and to promptly report suspicious vehicles, persons, or movements within their communities to the nearest Police station.

The Command also reaffirmed its readiness to maintain a peaceful environment across the 21 local government areas of the state, assuring that the safety of citizens remains its top priority.

It further appealed to residents to remain law-abiding, vigilant, and supportive of security efforts toward achieving credible and violence-free elections in the state.

The statement further provided the Command’s emergency numbers (112 and 07039194332) for public use, even as it called on residents to make timely reports to aid effective policing and quick response.