Police arrest 123 over fake number plates in Kano, recover pistol

The Kano State Police Command has apprehended 123 motorists for driving vehicles without proper registration plates or with concealed plates, as part of its ongoing 'Operation Clean Plate'. This initiative aims to combat criminal activities across the state by ensuring all vehicles are identifiable.

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This is not a mere traffic violation. It is a deliberate tactic employed by criminals to create anonymity, commit crime and evade detection.

During the enforcement exercise, police also arrested a 51-year-old suspect who was found in possession of a pistol, cannabis sativa, a knife, electric wires, 120 lithium batteries, and a suspected stolen vehicle. The Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, briefed journalists on Monday, emphasizing that the operation targets the use of unidentifiable vehicles, which he described as a tactic employed by criminals to conceal their identities and evade security checks.

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The Kano State Police Command under my watch will not allow our roads to be used as escape routes for criminality.

Commissioner Bakori stated that vehicles without proper identification are often used to transport suspicious individuals, prohibited firearms, narcotics, and other dangerous items. He assured residents that the operation, which has seen vehicles intercepted across various local government areas, will continue and intensify throughout Kano State. All arrested drivers have been charged to court.

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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.

Bakori further highlighted the importance of the operation by referencing an incident at the Panshekara Police Division where officers intercepted a vehicle without a registration plate. The driver attempted to evade arrest but was apprehended, leading to the recovery of incriminating items. The police are working to trace the origin of the recovered firearm and other exhibits to determine potential links to wider criminal networks.

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Operation Clean Plate will not stop. It will be sustained and intensified across the local government areas of Kano State.