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, an initiative aimed at curbing criminal activities across the state.
The command also arrested a 51-year-old suspect during the operation, recovering a pistol, suspected cannabis sativa, a knife, electric cables, 120 lithium batteries and a vehicle believed to have been stolen.
The Commissioner of Police in Kano State, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, disclosed this on Monday while briefing journalists at the command headquarters in Bompai.
According to Bakori, Operation Clean Plate was launched to address the growing use of unregistered and improperly identified vehicles, which he said are often exploited by criminals to conceal their identities and evade security checks.
He said the command had impounded vehicles across several local government areas since the commencement of the operation, adding that all 123 motorists arrested had 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.
“The Kano State Police Command under my watch will not allow our roads to be used as escape routes for criminality.”
Bakori said the operation yielded a significant breakthrough following the arrest of a suspect by officers attached to the Panshekara Police Division.
He explained that on July 9, 2026, officers on enforcement duty intercepted a vehicle without a registration plate, but the driver allegedly attempted to flee before he was apprehended.
A subsequent search of the suspect and the vehicle led to the recovery of a pistol, suspected cannabis sativa, a knife, electric cables, 120 lithium batteries and a vehicle believed to be stolen.
The suspect has since been transferred to the Command’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) 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,” Bakori said.
He added that investigators were working to trace the origin of the recovered firearm and other exhibits to determine whether they were linked to a wider criminal network.
The commissioner assured residents that the operation would continue 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,” he said.
Bakori urged vehicle owners to ensure their vehicles were properly registered, obtain standard number plates and remove any coverings or obstructions that could hinder identification.
He also appealed to members of the public to cooperate with security agencies by providing credible information that could aid crime prevention.
The police commissioner warned officers against misconduct during the operation, stressing that professionalism and discipline remained the command’s guiding principles.
“Any act of unprofessional conduct by our personnel should be reported. Discipline and brutality remain non-negotiable,” he said.
Bakori reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property while sustaining efforts to improve security across Kano State.
If you want it in a more concise newspaper style (around 400–500 words) or a punchier online news format, I can also adapt it.
