The Kano State Police Command has arrested 123 motorists for allegedly operating vehicles without registration plates or using concealed number plates as part of its ongoing security operation tagged Operation Clean Plate.
The command also recovered a pistol, suspected cannabis sativa, a knife, electric cables, 120 lithium batteries and a suspected stolen vehicle from a 51-year-old suspect arrested during the exercise.
The Commissioner of Police in Kano State, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, disclosed this while briefing journalists at the command headquarters in Bompai on Monday.
Bakori said the operation was introduced to curb the use of unregistered or improperly identified vehicles, which he said were increasingly being exploited by criminals to avoid detection.
According to him, the command has intercepted several vehicles across different local government areas since the operation began, while all 123 motorists arrested 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,” the commissioner said.
He added, “The Kano State Police Command under my watch will not allow our roads to be used as escape routes for criminality.”
The police boss explained that the importance of the operation became more evident following the arrest of a suspect by operatives attached to the Panshekara Police Division on July 9.
He said officers intercepted a vehicle without a registration plate, but the driver allegedly attempted to flee before he was arrested.
A subsequent search of the suspect and the vehicle led to the recovery of a pistol, suspected cannabis sativa, a knife, electric wires, 120 lithium batteries and a vehicle believed to have been stolen.
Bakori said the suspect had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department 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.
The commissioner noted that investigators were working to trace the origin of the recovered firearm and other exhibits to determine whether they were connected to a wider criminal network.
He assured residents that the operation would be sustained across all 44 local government areas of Kano State to strengthen security and prevent criminals from exploiting loopholes.
“Operation Clean Plate will not stop. It will be sustained and intensified across the local government areas of Kano State,” Bakori stated.
He urged vehicle owners to properly register their vehicles, obtain standard number plates and ensure that nothing obstructs their visibility.
Bakori also appealed to members of the public to support the police with credible information that could aid crime prevention, while warning officers against misconduct during the enforcement exercise.
“Any act of unprofessional conduct by our personnel should be reported. Discipline and brutality remain non-negotiable,” he said.
The commissioner reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property through proactive policing and enhanced security measures across the state.
