The Kano State Multi-Agency Task Force on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking has arrested more than 380 suspects and secured over 230 convictions within two months of its inauguration, its chairman, Muhuyi Magaji Rimin Gado, has said.
Rimin Gado disclosed this on Wednesday during a press briefing, saying the arrests and convictions formed part of the state government’s efforts to tackle drug abuse, street thuggery, phone snatching and other forms of criminality across Kano.
The Task Force, inaugurated on July 22, 2026, said its operations also resulted in the recovery of various illicit drugs and locally made weapons, while 43 underage children were rescued from exposure to intoxicating substances.
According to the chairman, about 125 individuals had also been referred for rehabilitation as part of efforts to address drug abuse and its associated social problems.
Rimin Gado said the joint enforcement operations were conducted at several identified drug and criminal hotspots, including Race Course, Filin Idi, Filin Mahaha, Tashar Rami, Kawo and Tashar Rimi.
He said operatives recovered substances including Cannabis Sativa, Exol-5, Diazepam, Pentazocine, Tramadol, Pregabalin capsules, Rubber Solution and a designer drug containing methamphetamine.
The Task Force also recovered locally made weapons, including knives, cutlasses, daggers and clubs, which were allegedly found at some of the locations targeted during the operations.
One of the major concerns uncovered during the operations, Rimin Gado said, was the seizure of approximately 870,000 Pregabalin capsules from a pharmaceutical company.
He said the circumstances surrounding the seizure raised concerns about the possible diversion of controlled medicines from legitimate pharmaceutical supply chains for illicit use.
The chairman consequently urged pharmaceutical companies, pharmacy managers, superintendent pharmacists and other personnel in the sector to strengthen internal controls and cooperate with inspections and investigations.
He warned that anyone found culpable would face the consequences of the law.
The Task Force said more than 230 convictions had been secured from cases arising from its enforcement operations.
Among those convicted, according to Rimin Gado, were two Rubber Solution dealers, Kabiru Isa, popularly known as Mada, and Usman Hamisu, also known as Mani.
The two men were convicted over allegations that they exposed about 43 underage children to intoxicating substances.
The children, who were reportedly engaged in street scavenging, were rescued and placed under medical and psychosocial care, the Task Force said.
Some of the children had been reunited with their families, while efforts were continuing to trace the relatives of others.
The Task Force also highlighted a case involving the alleged administration and supply of Pentazocine following a complaint concerning the alleged administration of the injection to a 63-year-old woman by Yahuza Musa, a former Chairman of Rogo Local Government Area.
According to the Task Force, a 24-year-old man also alleged that he spent more than N10m and gave a plot of land to obtain the same injection from the former council chairman.
Rimin Gado said Musa had been charged before a competent court and that the matter remained ongoing.
The Task Force said it had also intensified its campaign against “Daba”, a term commonly used in Kano to describe street thuggery and gang-related violence.
It said several suspected gang members had been arrested and convicted, including Abdullahi Ahmad, popularly known as Horror; Abubakar Sada, also known as Daburi; Abdullahi Sani, known as Sarki Ale; and Umar Aliyu.
Rimin Gado said the Task Force would continue to target individuals involved in drug-related violence and other criminal activities, including people allegedly using social media to promote or encourage such behaviour.
In another operation, the Task Force said it uncovered a phone-snatching syndicate known as “Yan Liya”, which allegedly uses commercial tricycles, popularly called Adaidaita Sahu, to steal mobile phones.
The Task Force said one suspect arrested in connection with the syndicate confessed to involvement in several phone thefts.
The chairman warned tricycle owners against knowingly allowing their vehicles to be used for criminal activities, saying the Task Force would pursue the forfeiture of vehicles established to have been used as instruments of crime.
Beyond enforcement, the Task Force said it had expanded prevention, sensitisation and rehabilitation programmes across Kano State.
It said the programmes had been taken to communities, schools, markets, religious institutions and other public spaces to educate residents about the dangers associated with drug abuse.
The Task Force has also referred about 125 individuals to the Kano Reformatory Institute in Kiru for rehabilitation.
Rimin Gado said the growing demand for rehabilitation services had placed significant pressure on the existing facility, prompting the state government to provide an additional rehabilitation centre in Tofa Local Government Area.
He said the new facility would be equipped and put into operation to accommodate more people requiring treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration.
The chairman said the long-term objective of the Task Force was to rehabilitate and empower 10,000 youths, particularly those affected by drug abuse and street-related criminality.
West Trybe reports that the scale of arrests, convictions, drug seizures and rehabilitation referrals recorded within the Task Force’s first two months reflects a multi-pronged approach combining enforcement with prevention and rehabilitation. The reported focus on pharmaceutical diversion, street gangs, phone theft and the protection of vulnerable children also highlights the links between substance abuse and wider criminality in Kano, while the planned expansion of rehabilitation facilities indicates an attempt to address the social and public-health dimensions of the problem alongside criminal enforcement.
