Kano Police Arrest 123 Traffic Offenders, Recover Firearm In Number Plate Crackdown

The Kano State Police Command has arrested 123 motorists for violating vehicle registration and number plate regulations as part of its ongoing enforcement campaign, Operation Clean Plates.

Speaking at a press briefing on Monday at the command headquarters in Bompai, the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, said the operation is aimed at removing vehicles with concealed, defaced, or missing number plates from roads across the state.

According to Bakori, such violations are frequently exploited by criminals seeking to avoid identification and arrest.

“The objective remains clear. We want to rid Kano State of vehicles plying our roads with covered, defaced, or no registration numbers,” he said.

He stressed that the issue goes beyond a simple traffic offence.

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

Bakori disclosed that since the operation was launched on July 6, law enforcement officers have intercepted 123 vehicles found to be in breach of the regulations across Kano’s 44 local government areas.

“A total of 123 motor vehicles in violation have been intercepted across the 44 local government areas of Kano State. All the drivers have been charged to court and are being prosecuted,” he stated.

The police commissioner also highlighted a significant arrest made by officers attached to the Panshekara Division.

According to him, officers on July 9 intercepted a vehicle without a number plate within Kano metropolis. The driver reportedly attempted to evade arrest but was later tracked down and apprehended.

“Our officers trailed and apprehended the suspect after he refused to stop,” Bakori said.

The suspect, identified as 51-year-old Mahi Ibrahim of Rijiyar Zaki quarters, was allegedly found in possession of a Beretta pistol, suspected cannabis, a knife, electric cables, 120 lithium batteries, and a vehicle believed to have been stolen.

Bakori said the discovery underscores the rationale behind the statewide crackdown.

“This arrest validates the very reason we launched Operation Clean Plates. Vehicles without proper identification are being used to move suspicious individuals, firearms, narcotics, and other dangerous items,” he said.

The suspect has since been transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), where detectives are investigating the source of the firearm and possible links to a wider criminal network.

The commissioner vowed that the exercise would continue and be expanded across the state.

“Operation Clean Plates will not stop. It will be sustained and intensified across the 44 local government areas of Kano State,” he said.

He urged vehicle owners to comply with registration requirements and ensure their number plates remain visible at all times, while also encouraging residents to provide the police with useful information that could aid crime-fighting efforts.

Bakori further assured the public that the command remains committed to professionalism, noting that any misconduct by officers should be promptly reported.

“The Kano State Police Command remains committed to protecting lives and property. We will not relent,” he added.