The process of obtaining a vehicle number plate in Nigeria is regulated and tied to a national database, ensuring that every vehicle can be properly identified and traced.
However, an investigation by SolaceBase reveals a parallel system in which number plates are produced and sold outside official channels in Kano, with little regard for verification or accountability.
In parts of Kofar Ruwa Market in Dala Local Government Area, fabricators openly duplicate existing number plates or resell used ones to willing buyers.
For a fee as low as N5,000, customers can request any number of their choice and have it reproduced within hours, bypassing the procedures required by authorities.
Checks by this reporter show that the trade operates through informal networks, often relying on personal contacts and referrals, making it difficult to detect.
During an undercover visit, fabricated number plates were ordered and delivered within a day, confirming how easily the process can be completed without scrutiny.
The ease with which these plates are obtained raises serious concerns for public safety, as cloned or recycled numbers can be used to conceal identities, evade law enforcement, or implicate unsuspecting vehicle owners in criminal activities.
Inside the Illegal Trade
Kamal Sani (not his real name), a fabricator in the market, speaks openly about his work to SolaceBase correspondent under the cover of being a prospective customer.
“People come to me to avoid the high cost of getting number plates from road safety or motorcycle dealers,” he said.
“For ₦5,000, they bring the picture of any number they want, and I will fabricate it. I have been doing this business for over ten years. I am married with children, and this is how I earn a living.”
His work is simple but effective; customers provide images of existing number plates, and within hours or days, identical copies are produced. But fabrication is only one part of the business.
He added, “Some customers ask for second-hand number plates. Especially car owners. We sell them plates that already carry somebody else’s name. They use them like that, or later change the documents.”
He added that the plates are sourced from vehicles sold as scrap in the market.
“When people sell their cars to yan gwangwan (scrap dealers), the plates are sold along with them. That is how we get them.”
According to him, in a day, he produces up to six plate numbers. “I even do it for policemen sometimes,” he claimed.
“There are times I delivered fabricated plates to the Kano Police Headquarters in Bompai. Policemen are among our customers; they send us the picture of the number they want to copy, and we do it for them, so to me this business is not illegal.”
Victims of Cloning
For some people, this is where the problem starts. Aliyu Usman, a commercial tricycle rider in Kano, recalls the moment he discovered his number plate had been cloned.
“One day on IBB Way, I saw another tricycle parked beside me using my exact number,” he said.
“I confronted the rider, but he said the bike was not his. I wanted to fight him, but my passengers stopped me.”
He believes many riders are doing the same thing.
“A lot of riders use fake numbers. Some even get permission from the owner before copying, while others just take a picture and go to Kofar Ruwa market.”
Kofar Ruwa Market, Dala Local Government Area.
According to him, in some cases, the fraud goes further. “I have a friend who copied his brother’s number, including the documents,” he added. “So if road safety stops him, he shows the papers.”
Using Another Person’s Number Plate
Another rider, Ibrahim Sani, admitted to using a second-hand number plate purchased in the same market.
“When I bought the bike, the mechanic told me he could get a number for me. I needed it, so I bought it,” he stated.
Such transactions highlight how easily vehicle identities can be transferred or manipulated without official oversight.
Undercover Investigation
To verify the claims, this reporter went undercover. Access to the fabricators is tightly controlled. There are no visible shops or signboards. The business operates through trusted connections.
With the help of a contact, the reporter was introduced to a fabricator identified as Mallam Auwalu (not his real name).
The process was straightforward.
A fabricator of the fake vehicle number plates at work at the Kofar Ruwa market
He asked whether the reporter had a sample number to copy. Two images were sent, one from Kano (faded and expired) and another from Abia State.
Moments later, Auwalu quoted his price: N6,000 per plate. After payment, he promised delivery the next day. Within 24 hours, the cloned plates were ready. When collected, both plates had been professionally replicated.
“There are many of us here, doing the same business in this market, but you will never know until you know someone, ‘’Auwalu said.
These are the fabricated fake vehicle number plates we procured at the market
Regulators Acknowledge the Problem
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Kano Sector Command, confirms awareness of the issue but admits a critical gap. Abubakar Bashir, the agency’s spokesperson, said:
“We know people are fabricating fake number plates, and we arrest users. But the challenge is identifying where exactly they are produced.”
He explained that official number plates are tied to a national database.
“Every plate we issue is recorded. The owner’s full details are captured. This helps us trace victims in accidents or crimes.”
Fake plates, however, bypass this system entirely. “That is why it is dangerous. These numbers are not in our records,” he warned.
He also cautioned against buying second-hand plates. “You don’t know the history of that number. It could be linked to robbery, kidnapping, or other crimes.”
Police Raise Alarm
The Nigerian Police Force says the issue is already affecting criminal investigations.
CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, spokesperson for the Kano State Police Command, told SolaceBase that police personnel regularly arrest offenders.
“We have trained personnel who identify fake plates and take offenders to court,” he said.
He cited a recent case: “We intercepted a vehicle loaded with drugs. When we checked, the number plate was fake.”
According to him, criminals exploit cloned plates to evade detection. “We urge citizens to be law-abiding. Fake number plates are often used to commit crimes.”
Despite occasional arrests, the network behind this illicit trade continues to flourish, operating openly in the markets and exposing a serious gap in enforcement, accountability, and public safety.
This report was produced with support from Civic Media Lab
