The Commissioner of Police, Akwa Ibom State Command, CP Baba Mohammed Azare on Saturday led an enforcement team to monitor compliance with the Third Party Vehicle Insurance scheme in the state.
Recall that the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, directed all the police commands in the country to ensure that motorists present the third party insurance certificate of their vehicles to operatives starting from February 1, 2025.
Azare, enforcing the directive on Saturday, led senior officers of the Command to strategic areas in the state, including Uyo and Ikot Ekpene.
He said the exercise would continue until all motorists have their vehicle third party insurance certificates.
Speaking with journalists shortly after the exercise, Azare expressed satisfaction that a good number of motorists accosted have their valid papers including the third party insurance certificate.
He attributed the development to vigorous sensitization on the issue by the police and other relevant stakeholders.
However, he noted that some vehicles were impounded after the owners failed to present the required papers.
According to him, the vehicles would only be released upon presentation of the valid documents within a given timeframe.
Failing to do so, the vehicle owners will face prosecution, he warned.
The commissioner of police who impounded the vehicle of a local government deputy chairman as well as some other prominent persons in the state over non-presentation of the required vehicle papers, said “the law is not a respecter of anyone”.
He advised the offenders to do the needful by renewing their papers before they can recover their vehicles.
“The third party insurance is the requirement of the law. You must have all your documents to ply Nigerian roads so we are enforcing the law. Ignorance is not an excuse in the eyes of the law,” he added.
Meanwhile, in an interview with journalists, some offenders whose vehicles were impounded claimed they were not aware that the enforcement exercise would kick off on Saturday.
One Kingsley Wilson said, “I’m not aware that police will check papers today, the vehicle belong to my friend who asked me to bring it to the village.
“I was stopped by the police, they asked me to bring the papers and I mistakenly brought the wrong ones and they insisted to take the vehicle to station. I’ve been very sick and didn’t know when the enforcement was announced.”
