Kano Busts Major Drug Cartel, Arrests 380 Suspects, Recovers Weapons
Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano
The Kano State Multi-Agency Task Force on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking has burst a major drug cartel in the state, arresting 380 suspects and recovering dangerous weapons in a two-month coordinated crackdown.
The Chairman of the task force, Muhuyi Magaji Rimin Gado, disclosed this last Monday at a press briefing in Kano on the activities of the committee since its inauguration on July 22, 2026, about two months ago.
He said the task force has secured over 230 convictions and is now targeting 10,000 youths for rehabilitation, skills acquisition and reintegration.
According to him, “Within the period, the committee carried out joint dislodgment operations across notorious black spots, including Race Course, Filin Idi, Filin Mahaha, Tashar Rami, Kawo Area and Tashar Rimi, where miscreants gather to take illicit substances before engaging in thuggery locally known as ‘Daba’ and phone snatching.”
According to him, the operations led to the recovery of assorted substances, including Cannabis Sativa, Exol-5, Diazepam, Pentazocine Injection, Methamphetamine, Tramadol, ‘Suck and Die’, Rubber Solution and Pregabalin Capsules, as well as knives, cutlasses, daggers and clubs.
He expressed concern over the diversion of controlled drugs from legitimate supply chains, revealing the seizure of about 870,000 capsules of Pregabalin from a leading pharmaceutical company in the state.
The seizure, he said, contravenes the federal and Kano State policies on pharmaceutical warehousing, warning that no company or staff found culpable in diverting drugs to youths will be spared.
On child protection, the chairman alleged that two rubber solution dealers, Kabiru Isa (Mada) and Usman Hamisu (Mani), were convicted for exposing 43 underage children in street scavenging to intoxicants.
He said the children have been rescued, undergone medical checks, and are receiving counseling while efforts are underway to reunite them with their families.
