The Department of State Services (DSS) has, in collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) apprehended some syndicates in Kano and Kebbi states in connection with the production of illegal number plates, including the fake Kano ‘Chip Whip’ number plate.
This was the result of a swift investigation and tactically orchestrated covert operation by both agencies to track down the criminals behind the syndicate, in response to the widely publicised discovery of a fake number plate bearing a wrongly spelt “Chip Whip’(Chief Whip) in Kano recently.
According to Bisi Kazeem, the Corps Public Education Officer, upon sighting the illegal number plate, the Corps Marshal, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi immediately directed the Kano state Sector Commander, Corps Commander Zubairu Mato, to collaborate with security agencies to fish out the syndicates involved in producing fake number plates in the state.
Consequent upon the directive, DSS Kano State was intimated and immediately swung into action to arrest the perpetrators and bring them to book.
On Tuesday 12th Nov, 2019 DSS raided the following areas in Kano state; Sabon Gari, Kofar Ruwa, Gidan Boss (Kofar Mazugal) Kofar Wambai (Yan Robobi) and Naibawa Zaria road.
At Sabon Gari, a suspect was arrested and subsequently charged to Court for production of fake number plates. The suspect was apprehended while digging the ground to hide the illegal number plates in his possession to evade arrest.
Reacting to the successes recorded in the operation, the State Director, DSS Kano state, promised to sustain the tempo of clamping down on producers of fake number plates in the state.
In a similar operation, the corps arrested some syndicates at the Dodaru market, Gwandu Local Government Area of Kebbi state who specialise in selling illegal number plates to motorcyclists.
The suspects were arraigned on Friday before the Chief Magistrate Court 1 Birnin Kebbi. The accused pleaded not guilty but were remanded in prison custody by the Chief Magistrate till 28 November, 2019 when the case will be represented for hearing.
The Corps Marshal who expressed satisfaction over the fruitful synergy thanked the Director General DSS, Yusuf Magaji Bichi, for the prompt professional response deployed to arrest the perpetrators of this high level of illegality.
He, therefore, called on all Nigerians who have vital information about any individual involved in the illegal act to provide such to the Corps for necessary actions.