The Kebbi State Board of Internal Revenue, on Tuesday, said that about 70 per cent of vehicles (motorcycles inclusive) plying roads in the state were either unregistered or improperly registered.
The Executive Chairman of the Board, Illyasu Arzika-Jega, said this while responding to questions from journalists in his office in Birnin Kebbi on the joint efforts to curb illegality by some motorists and cyclists in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the board and other security agencies in the state were collaborating to check the particulars of vehicles plying the major roads.
Arzika-Jega explained that the percentage of defaulters cuts across vehicles plying the roads in the 21 local government council areas of the state.
He said, “BIR has been receiving a lot of messages and complaints outside the state especially from Lagos State requesting the need for the verification of some vehicle number plates which often were found not to be properly documented or registered.
“The default is almost 70 per cent. If you are to check thoroughly, out of 10 motorcycles or vehicles on the roads, hardly will you see three with registration numbers.
“That is why we consider it necessary to go out and start checking regularly so that people will not relax on the need for them to register their vehicles.
“Also, this is necessary because there are several reports coming to our office in respect of stolen vehicles which we do receive from across the nation.”
He stated that the exercise would assist the board in its efforts of reducing the number of unregistered motorists and motorcyclists plying the roads in the state, adding that it would also help vehicle owners to trace and retrieve their lost or stolen property.
On measures being taken against defaulters, Arzika-Jega said that those found to have violated the law were compelled to regularize their vehicle particulars.
He added that others whose offences were considered as grievous were charged to court by the Vehicle Inspection Officers.
(NAN).
