Kano State Police Command has impounded 81 vehicles for violating regulations on the display of vehicle registration number plates as part of a statewide enforcement operation aimed at improving security and curbing criminal activities across the state.
The Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, disclosed this while briefing journalists in Kano on the ongoing exercise, codenamed Operation Clean Plates, which is being conducted across the 44 local government areas of the state.
Bakori said the affected motorists would be prosecuted in accordance with the law, explaining that the operation targets vehicles with concealed, defaced or improperly displayed number plates.
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According to him, the deliberate concealment of vehicle registration numbers has become a tactic frequently exploited by criminals to evade identification and frustrate law enforcement efforts after committing offences.
He stressed that the command would not allow Kano State to become a safe haven for criminal elements using vehicles with altered or covered number plates.
The police commissioner said the command had embarked on an extensive public enlightenment campaign before the commencement of the operation through radio, television, social media platforms and live phone-in programmes to educate residents on the legal requirement for proper vehicle registration and the clear display of standard number plates.
He noted that the awareness campaign provided adequate notice to vehicle owners, adding that offenders could not legitimately claim ignorance of the law.
Bakori also revealed that three additional vehicles were intercepted under suspicious circumstances during the operation after their occupants failed to provide satisfactory explanations regarding the ownership and purpose of the vehicles.
He said the suspects and the vehicles were undergoing further investigation and assured that anyone found culpable would be prosecuted in line with the law.
The commissioner emphasised that the enforcement exercise was not intended to harass law-abiding citizens but to strengthen public safety by ensuring that every vehicle operating on Kano roads could be properly identified and traced whenever necessary.
He urged motorists to ensure their vehicles were duly registered, fitted with standard number plates and free from any coverings or obstructions that could hinder identification by security agencies.
Bakori also called on residents to cooperate with police personnel during the operation and report any unprofessional conduct by officers through the Command’s Complaint Response Unit.
He reaffirmed the Kano State Police Command’s commitment to intelligence-led policing and crime prevention, assuring residents that Operation Clean Plates would continue across the state until full compliance with vehicle registration regulations is achieved.