The Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, has warned Nigerians to stop selling Vehicles Along with plate numbers.
Giving the warning during a visit to the Cross River State Council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, was the new FRSC Sector Commander in Cross River State, Elizabeth Akinlade.
Akinlade said that the warning became imperative to protect unsuspecting members of the public against selling their vehicles to people of questionable character.
The Sector Commander said that the original owner of the vehicle will be held responsible if it is used to perpetrate a crime after it had been sold.
Revealing that the Corps had a data bank of the original owners of all vehicles in the country, Akinlade added that when a car is sold, a new buyer ought to do change of ownership.
She said, “Don’t sell your vehicle with the plate number, because in our data bank, the name of the original owner of the vehicle, including his address, is stored.
“If the vehicle is used to carry out a crime, with the information in our data bank, the original owner may be arrested, even if he knows nothing about the crime, but sold the car with the plate number.
“One of our strategic goals is to have a robust data bank, because without data you may not be able to do much.”
Akinlade said the main goal of the corps in Cross River State in 2022 would be to reduce road crashes by at least 15 per cent, adding that it could only be possible with a cordial relationship with the media.
She added, “We have lost a lot of people, especially breadwinners, some of whom have been rendered incapacitated, that is why we continue to urge the media to help us push the message of defensive driving to the public.”
In his remarks, the chairman of the Cross River State Council if the NUJ, Victor Udu, thanked the Sector Commander for her visit and urged the command to make the process of getting vehicle licence easy.
He also appealed to members of the public to ensure that their papers were up-to-date and their vehicles in good condition, especially their tyres, side mirrors and rear glasses, to minimise altercations with FRSC officials.
He added, “If we do what the law says, we will have less frictions with FRSC and whenever they stop you for breaking the law, be gentle enough to appeal to them and not claim right.”
The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that Akinlade took over from Ocheja Ameh at the Cross River State Command.
