The Chairman of the Kano State Joint Task Force on Drug Abuse, Illicit Drug Trafficking and Gang-Related Violence, Muhuyi Magaji Rimingado, has warned that anyone seeking the release of suspected drug traffickers, drug users or gang members arrested by the committee will be publicly named.
Rimingado said the committee would expose the identities of individuals, including politicians and other influential figures, who seek to interfere with its operations through pressure, threats, or other forms of influence to obtain the release of suspects.
According to him, such actions amount to aiding criminality and undermining the state’s efforts to combat drug abuse, illicit drug trafficking, and gang-related violence.
The committee chairman issued the warning on Tuesday while addressing journalists in Kano.
He also called on media organisations, community leaders, and residents to support the government’s campaign against substance abuse and related crimes.
He explained that “the committee was established by the Kano State Government as part of a comprehensive strategy to tackle the growing menace of drug abuse and its link to violent crime across the state.”
Rimingado recalled that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf declared a statewide public health emergency on substance abuse on July 22 before inaugurating the multi-agency committee with the mandate to combat illicit drug trafficking, rehabilitate victims of drug abuse, and ensure the prosecution of offenders.
He said the committee would adopt a community-based approach and work closely with the media to raise public awareness and mobilise support for the anti-drug campaign.
Citing security statistics, Rimingado said “substance abuse continues to pose a major challenge in Kano, noting that about 70.2 per cent of the more than 3,080 major crime suspects arrested by the police last year were linked to it.”
He expressed confidence that addressing the root causes of drug abuse would significantly reduce criminal activities and improve public safety across the state.
The Chairman also disclosed that the committee would intensify efforts to curb gang-related violence, popularly known as Daba, describing the phenomenon as a direct consequence of substance abuse.
He warned that individuals involved in violent activities would face prosecution in accordance with the law, stressing that the Kano State Government remains committed to enforcing all relevant laws against offenders.
