News
No sacred cows in Kano drug war, task force chairman warns
Ibrahim Khalil
The Chairman of the Kano State Multi-Agency Task Force on Drugs Abuse and Trafficking, Muhyi Magaji Rimin Gado, has warned that there will be no sacred cows in the state’s ongoing fight against drug abuse and trafficking.
KANO FOCUS reports that Rimin Gado said anyone involved in the illicit drug trade would face arrest and prosecution, regardless of status or position.
He made the declaration during a phone-in programme, Duniyar Mu a Yau, aired by Freedom Radio, Kano.
The chairman disclosed that the task force had taken some drug-related patients to the Kiru Reformative Centre for rehabilitation, while several suspects had also been charged to court over alleged drug offences.
In a statement signed by Lamara Azare, a member of the Media and Publicity Committee of the Multi-Agency Task Force on Drugs Abuse and Trafficking, Rimingado added that a number of drug stores had been sealed for violating regulations governing the sale, handling and storage of medicines.
“There will be no sacred cow. Anyone who engages in the selling or abuse of drugs will certainly be apprehended and prosecuted. There will be no hiding place for such criminals in Kano State,” Rimin Gado said.
He said the task force would continue to engage religious scholars, traditional rulers, civil society organisations, market associations and other stakeholders as part of efforts to tackle the drug menace.
According to him, the fight against drug abuse cannot be left to government and security agencies alone, stressing that communities and institutions must work together to achieve lasting results.
“We are committed to sacrificing everything for this assignment. I would rather die than compromise on this fight,” he said.
Rimin Gado described drug abuse as an increasingly endemic problem that had assumed a worrying dimension, calling for sustained and coordinated efforts to address it.
He commended Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for establishing the multi-agency task force, saying the initiative demonstrated the administration’s determination to protect young people and address one of the major threats to the state’s social stability.
The chairman also disclosed that he personally visited the state secretariat at Audu Bako Secretariat as part of efforts to rid the public service of activities linked to drug abuse and trafficking.
He said arrests were made during the task force’s operations, stressing that government offices must not be allowed to become safe havens for activities capable of undermining the anti-drug campaign.
Rimin Gado urged residents to support the task force by providing useful information to security and enforcement agencies.
“It is a collective responsibility. We must all join hands to secure our society and protect our young people from the devastating consequences of drug abuse,” he said.
Task force plans youth skills centres
The chairman also disclosed that the task force was working on plans to rehabilitate and revive skills acquisition centres across Kano State, including the Dangote Skills Acquisition Centre.
He said the initiative was aimed at equipping young people with vocational skills and providing productive alternatives that could reduce their vulnerability to drug abuse, trafficking and other forms of criminality.
According to him, youth empowerment would form an important part of the task force’s broader strategy, alongside enforcement, rehabilitation, public enlightenment and stakeholder engagement.
Rimin Gado said the task force would sustain its campaign against drug abuse and trafficking while expanding its engagement with parents, community leaders, religious organisations, traditional institutions, youth groups and other stakeholders.
The chairman urged residents to remain vigilant and support the campaign, stressing that sustained public participation was essential to making Kano State increasingly free from drug abuse and trafficking.
The statement was signed by Lamara Azare, a member of the Media and Publicity Committee of the Multi-Agency Task Force on Drugs Abuse and Trafficking.
Suspect returned to Kano to face investigation, prosecution
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Kano State Multi-Agency Task Force on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking has arrested a suspected gang leader and sponsor, Ishaq Lawan Ibrahim, popularly known as Malam Keya, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
KANO FOCUS reports that the 27-year-old suspect, from Yelwa in Dala Local Government Area of Kano State, is accused of sponsoring violent gang clashes that have claimed lives and heightened insecurity in parts of the state.
The task force disclosed this in a statement, saying the suspect was arrested following intelligence-led operations after allegedly fleeing Kano as security operations against gang violence intensified.
According to the statement, operatives tracked him to Port Harcourt and arrested him in an operation led by the task force’s Head of Operations, CSP Bashir Gwadabe. He has since been returned to Kano.
The task force alleged that Malam Keya played a leading role in orchestrating and financing hoodlums involved in violent attacks in Dala and other affected communities.
The areas reportedly affected by the gang violence include Jakara, Madigawa, Yalwa, Sanka, Kul Kul, Dogon Nama, Kukar Bulukiya, Dala, Shatsari and Dandalin Turawa.
Confirming the arrest, the task force chairman, Barr Muhuyi Magaji Rimin Gado, said the operation demonstrated the agency’s determination to pursue suspected sponsors of violence beyond Kano State.
“Let me assure you that those who bankroll violence should know that no distance, and no hiding place, will protect them. This arrest is only the beginning. We will not rest until peace is fully restored,” he said.
The task force said the suspect remained in custody for further investigation and would be prosecuted upon the conclusion of the investigation.
It added that its operations would continue in accordance with the law, with all suspects entitled to due process.
The agency also pledged to sustain efforts to dismantle criminal gangs, identify their alleged sponsors and disrupt drug supply networks linked to criminal activities.
It urged residents, community and religious leaders, parents and youths to support security efforts by reporting suspicious persons and activities, monitoring their neighbourhoods and discouraging young people from being recruited into criminal gangs.
The task force described public cooperation as essential to restoring peace and security across the state.
It also acknowledged the support of the Kano and Rivers state police commands and other law enforcement agencies in the operation.
Ibrahim Khalil
The Kano State Small Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (KASSTOWA) has strengthened security at Joda Waterworks to prevent vandalism, theft and unauthorised access to the facility.
KANO FOCUS reports that the agency disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday, following an assessment visit to the waterworks by its interim managing director to evaluate the security situation.
According to the statement, additional security personnel have been deployed to protect the facility and ensure uninterrupted water supply.
The agency said the measure was part of efforts to safeguard critical water infrastructure and protect public assets from potential threats.
It added that the intervention aligned with the commitment of the administration of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to protecting government facilities and ensuring the delivery of essential services, in collaboration with the state’s Ministry of Water Resources.
KASSTOWA also emphasised the importance of inter-agency collaboration in strengthening infrastructure protection.
The agency called on community leaders, traditional institutions, youth organisations and residents to remain vigilant, report suspicious activities and cooperate with security personnel deployed to the facility.
It stressed that protecting water infrastructure was a shared responsibility requiring the cooperation of government agencies and host communities.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Kano State Police Command has foiled an alleged kidnapping plot in Gezawa Local Government Area and arrested two 20-year-old suspects over threats to abduct a village head.
KANO FOCUS reports that the suspects, identified as Aliyu Naziru Garba and Bashir Alhasan, were arrested following intelligence-led operations by police operatives attached to the Gezawa Divisional Police Headquarters.
The command disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday by its spokesperson, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa.
According to the statement, the incident was reported on October 26, 2026, at about 1:30 a.m. by the village head of Bangare, Mallam Idris, who told the police that he had received a threatening phone call from an unidentified person on October 24 at about 9:33 p.m.
The caller allegedly threatened to kidnap him.
Following the report, police operatives launched a follow-up operation, which led to the arrest of the two suspects.
“The suspects have confessed to the commission of the crime,” the statement said, adding that investigations were ongoing and the suspects would be charged to court upon completion.
The Commissioner of Police in Kano State, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, commended officers of the Gezawa Division for their swift and professional response.
Bakori reiterated the command’s zero-tolerance stance on criminal activities and said the operation aligned with the policing vision of the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, which prioritises intelligence-led and technology-driven policing, professionalism and proactive crime prevention.
The police urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious persons or movements to the nearest police station.
The command also provided the following emergency contact numbers for reporting security concerns: 08032419754, 08123821575 and 09029292926.
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