The Kano State Police Command says it has prosecuted 123 drivers for using vehicles with covered, defaced or missing number plates since the launch of Operation Clean Plates.
At a press conference on Monday, the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, said the operation was introduced to prevent criminals from using unregistered vehicles to evade detection.
“The objective remains clear: rid Kano State of vehicles plying our roads with covered, defaced or no registration numbers,” Bakori said.
He added that “all drivers of the intercepted vehicles have been charged in court and are being prosecuted” in accordance with the law.
According to the Commissioner of Police, officers intercepted 123 vehicles in the 44 local government areas of Kano State during the law enforcement exercise.
Bakori also announced a major breakthrough recorded by officers of the Panshekara Police Division on July 9 after they stopped an unregistered vehicle in Kano metropolis.
He said the driver, identified as Mahi Ibrahim, 51, of Rijiyar Zaki, allegedly refused to stop and attempted to flee before being arrested.
Police said a search of the suspect and the vehicle led to the recovery of a Beretta pistol, dried leaves suspected to be cannabis, a sharp knife, electrical cables, 120 lithium batteries and a vehicle suspected to have been stolen.
The suspect has been transferred to the State Department of Criminal Investigation for further investigation, while efforts are made to trace the origin of the firearm and other recovered items.
Bakori said the arrest highlights why police launched the operation.
“This arrest validates why we launched ‘Operation Clean Plates’. Vehicles without proper identification are being used to transport suspicious persons, prohibited firearms, narcotics and other dangerous items throughout the state,” he said.
The commissioner said the operation would continue in all 44 local government areas, urging vehicle owners to properly register their vehicles and display standard number plates at all times.
He also called on residents to cooperate with police officers and report any unprofessional conduct by staff through the command’s reporting channels.