The Lagos State Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), has said 76,299 driver’s licenses are yet to be collected in the state as at July 8.

With the Lagos State traffic laws stating that driving without a valid driver’s licence attracts impoundment of vehicle, the owners of the uncollected licenses may be risking losing their vehicles to the state government.

The Lagos Sector Commander of FRSC, Hyginus Omeje, who revealed the number of uncollected licenses in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday.

Omeje said that the command commenced “Operation Show Your Driver’s License’’ on May 20, when it observed that many drivers were driving without driver’s licence.

“Driver’s licence is the only legal document that allows a driver to be on the road.

“We have on many occasions, through the media, called on drivers to come and collect their permanent driver’s licence lying in our offices but they refused.

“When we embarked on the operation between May 20 and May 28, 2019, we had 63,011 driver’s licences yet to be collected but before May 31, 9,016 of the licences were collected leaving the outstanding 53,995 licences.

“Since the enforcement of traffic laws by the Lagos State Government, more people are applying for the driver’s licence,’’ the FRSC boss said.

Omeje said that between June 3 and July 7, 2019, the organisation received 28,454 applications for driver’s licences.

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He said that as at July 8, 2019, 902 drivers were booked by the command for not having driver’s licence in the continued “Operation Show Your Driver’s licence’’.

WuzupNaija that the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu on May 30, 2019, a day after his inauguration signed the first Executive Order to address the issue of traffic control and management.

The governor directed all traffic agents in the state to effectively carry out their functions by ensuring strict compliance with all extant traffic rules and regulations as prescribed in the enabling laws.

The state traffic laws state that driving without a valid driver’s licence attracts impoundment of vehicle, while driving with fake driver’s licence attracts a penalty of six months imprisonment.