The Kano State Police Command has intercepted 123 vehicles with concealed, defaced or missing registration number plates under its ongoing Operation Clean Plate, a statewide crackdown aimed at denying criminals the anonymity they exploit to commit crimes and evade arrest.
Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, who disclosed this while briefing journalists in Kano on Monday, said all drivers of the intercepted vehicles had been prosecuted in accordance with the law.
TheFact Daily reports that the operation was launched on July 6 following an increase in the use of vehicles with concealed or missing number plates. It is being conducted across all 44 local government areas after a public sensitisation campaign, with between 72 and 81 vehicles impounded on the first day of enforcement.
Bakori said the operation recorded a major breakthrough on July 9, when operatives of the Panshekara Police Division intercepted a vehicle without a registration plate. The 15-year-old driver allegedly attempted to flee but was apprehended, while a search of the vehicle led to the recovery of a Beretta pistol, suspected Indian hemp, a sharp knife, electric cables, 120 lithium batteries, and a vehicle believed to be stolen.
He said the suspect had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for further investigation, noting that the recovery underscored the rationale behind the operation.
Describing Operation Clean Plate as intelligence-led, technology-driven and community-focused, Bakori said it would continue across the state until vehicles with concealed or defaced number plates were eliminated. He urged motorists to properly register and display their number plates, called on residents to support the police with credible information, and warned officers against misconduct during the exercise.
