Police impound 81 vehicles in Kano over covered, missing number plates

Kano State Police Command has impounded 81 vehicles for offences related to covered, defaced, improperly displayed or missing number plates as part of a statewide enforcement operation aimed at improving security and curbing criminal activities.

Speaking on the exercise, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, Commissioner of Police in Kano State, said the operation, code-named “Operation Clean Plates,” followed an extensive public sensitisation campaign across the state.

Bakori said motorists were adequately informed through radio and television programmes, social media platforms and live phone-in broadcasts on the need to properly register their vehicles and display standard number plates before the enforcement exercise commenced.

According to him, the Command decided to intensify enforcement because vehicles without proper registration or visible number plates are often used by criminals to carry out offences and evade identification by security agencies.

He described the use of vehicles without registration or with concealed number plates as more than a simple traffic violation, stressing that it poses a serious security threat.

“We cannot and will not allow Kano State to become a safe haven for criminals who exploit such vehicles to commit crimes and escape detection,” he said.
Bakori disclosed that the ongoing operation is being conducted simultaneously across the 44 Local Government Areas of the State.

He said 81 vehicles found violating the law had been impounded, while their drivers would be prosecuted in accordance with relevant traffic and criminal laws.

The Police commissioner also revealed that three vehicles carrying occupants under suspicious circumstances were intercepted during the operation.

According to him, preliminary investigations showed that the occupants failed to give satisfactory explanations regarding the ownership and purpose of the vehicles.

He said both the suspects and the vehicles were undergoing further investigation, assuring residents that anyone found culpable would be dealt with in accordance with the law.

Bakori maintained that the exercise was not intended to harass law-abiding motorists but to enhance public safety by ensuring that every vehicle on the state’s roads could be properly identified and traced whenever necessary.

He urged vehicle owners to ensure that their vehicles were duly registered and fitted with standard number plates that are clearly visible at all times.

He also advised motorists to immediately remove any covering or obstruction that conceals their number plates to avoid sanctions.

The commissioner appealed to residents to cooperate with officers carrying out the operation and refrain from any act capable of disrupting law and order.

He further encouraged members of the public to report any unprofessional conduct by police personnel through the Command and Control Response Unit on 09134558533 or 08115657624.

Bakori reaffirmed the command’s commitment to intelligence-led policing, saying the operation would continue until there is full compliance with vehicle registration and number plate regulations across Kano State.