The Kano State Police Command says it has arraigned 123 drivers for using vehicles with covered, defaced, or missing number plates since the launch of Operation Clean Plates.

Speaking at a press briefing on Monday, Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Adamu Bakori said the operation was introduced to prevent criminals from using unregistered vehicles to evade detection.

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

He added that “all the drivers of the intercepted vehicles have been charged to court and are being prosecuted” under the law.

According to the police commissioner, officers intercepted 123 vehicles across Kano State’s 44 local government areas during the enforcement exercise.

Bakori also announced a major breakthrough recorded by officers from the Panshekara Police Division on July 9, after they stopped a vehicle without a registration plate in Kano metropolis.

He said the driver, identified as 51-year-old Mahi Ibrahim of Rijiyar Zaki, allegedly refused to stop and attempted to flee before he was arrested.

Police said a search of the suspect and the vehicle led to the recovery of a Beretta pistol, dried leaves suspected to be cannabis, a sharp knife, electric wires, 120 lithium batteries, and a vehicle suspected to have been stolen.

The suspect has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation, while efforts are ongoing to trace the source of the firearm and other recovered items.

Bakori said the arrest highlights why the police launched the operation.

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

The commissioner said the operation would continue across all 44 local government areas, urging vehicle owners to properly register their vehicles and display standard number plates at all times.

He also called on residents to cooperate with police officers and report any unprofessional conduct by personnel through the command’s complaint channels.

The Benue State Police Command has confirmed the killing of eight people following an attack by armed assailants on Otukpo-Nobi Community in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State at the weekend.

DSP Udeme Edet, the command’s spokesman, said in a statement that the attack occurred in the early hours of Sunday and left five other people injured. The police casualty figure contradicted claims by survivors, with some residents saying 10 people were killed, while others alleged that 16 people were murdered by suspected armed herdsmen.

“The Benue State Police Command condemns in practical terms the cruel and tragic attack that occurred in the early hours of Sunday, 12th July, 2026, at Otukpo-Nobi Community in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State.

“At about 6:00 a.m., the Command received a distress call which reported that armed assailants invaded the community shortly after the successful conclusion of the wake and burial rites of the late Mr. Adaje Okoh, an octogenarian. The attackers reportedly opened fire indiscriminately, resulting in the death of eight persons, while five others sustained varying degrees of injuries. Some thatched houses and a motorcycle were also set ablaze during the attack.

“The Benue State Police Command extends its heartfelt and sincere condolences to the bereaved families and the Benue State in general while praying for the speedy recovery of the injured,” the statement said.

It added that the injured victims were evacuated to a medical facility in Otukpo for treatment, while the bodies were deposited at the mortuary of the Federal University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital, Otukpo.

Edet stated that the Benue State Commissioner of Police, Cletus Nwadiogbu, led police tactical teams and other operatives to the community to restore normalcy, prevent further attacks and commence investigations into the incident.

Nwadiogbu, who condemned the attack, ordered the deployment of additional tactical and operational assets to Otukpo-Nobi and other vulnerable communities to prevent further breakdown of law and order while ensuring a return to normalcy in the affected area.

Security had been reinforced around the area following protests by aggrieved youths after the attack.

The command appealed to residents to remain calm, avoid taking the law into their own hands and support security agencies with credible information that could assist ongoing investigations.

Troops of Sector 7 of the Nigerian Army have intercepted suspected arms traffickers and recovered seven illegal firearms allegedly meant to be supplied to bandits.

This was made known in a post by a security expert, Zagazola Makama, on Monday.

Zagazola said the arrest happened during a targeted stop-and-search operation at Samaru checkpoint in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

According to him, the operation was carried out at about 9:40 a.m. on Monday following credible intelligence regarding the movement of illegal weapons from Jos, Plateau State, to Niger State.

The security expert disclosed that troops had received information that suspected arms racketeers were transporting the weapons in an ash-coloured Mercedes-Benz vehicle.

He added that while acting on the intelligence, security personnel identified, tracked and intercepted the vehicle at the Samaru checkpoint in Zangon Kataf.