The Kano State Police Command has arrested 123 motorists for allegedly driving vehicles without registration plates or with concealed number plates under its ongoing Operation Clean Plate.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, disclosed this while briefing journalists on Monday at the command headquarters in Bompai, Kano.
Bakori said the operation was introduced to curb the use of unregistered or improperly identified vehicles, which he said were often exploited by criminals to conceal their identities and evade security checks.
According to him, the vehicles were intercepted across various local government areas of the state, while all the motorists have been charged to court.
“This is not a mere traffic violation. It is a deliberate tactic employed by criminals to create anonymity, commit crime and evade detection,” he said.
“The Kano State Police Command under my watch will not allow our roads to be used as escape routes for criminality.”
The police commissioner also disclosed the arrest of a 51-year-old suspect during the operation.
He said officers attached to the Panshekara Police Division intercepted a vehicle without a registration plate on July 9 after its driver allegedly attempted to evade arrest.
Bakori said a search of the suspect and the vehicle led to the recovery of a pistol, cannabis sativa, a knife, electric cables, 120 lithium batteries and a vehicle suspected to have been stolen.
He added that the suspect had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation.
“These recoveries validate the reason we launched Operation Clean Plate. Vehicles without proper identification are being used to move suspicious individuals, prohibited firearms, narcotics and other dangerous items across the state,” he said.
Bakori said investigations were ongoing to determine the source of the recovered firearm and other exhibits, as well as establish whether they were linked to a wider criminal network.
He assured residents that the operation would continue across the 44 local government areas of Kano State to enhance public safety and prevent criminal activities.
The commissioner urged motorists to properly register their vehicles, obtain standard number plates and ensure that registration numbers remained visible at all times.
He also appealed to residents to cooperate with security agencies by providing credible information that could assist in crime prevention.
Bakori warned police personnel against misconduct during the enforcement exercise, stressing that professionalism and discipline remained paramount.
He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property across the state.
