By Kazeem Waris
The Chairman of the Kano State Multi-Agency Taskforce on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Muhuyi Magaji Rimingado, has declared that the fight against drug abuse will remain ineffective unless authorities go after suppliers and dealers rather than concentrating on arresting users.
Rimingado accused some public officials of allegedly shielding individuals and companies involved in the illegal distribution of controlled drugs, warning that the taskforce would no longer spare those responsible for supplying substances to drug users.
He spoke on Saturday during a briefing with journalists in Kano, where he insisted that tackling drug abuse required confronting the sources of illicit drugs and holding those facilitating their distribution accountable.
“I cannot in good conscience continue to go after the victims (users) while the perpetrators (dealers) are given shield by those who have a statutory responsibility to protect them from accessing these drugs they tend to abuse,” he said.
To demonstrate the taskforce’s enforcement efforts, Rimingado led journalists to Apple Avenue in Nomansland, Kano, where a company operating in a residential area was sealed over allegations linked to the distribution of pregabalin.
He alleged that the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, PCN, facilitated the operation by registering a residential property as an outlet for pharmaceutical activities.
According to him, investigations by the taskforce linked the property to a company allegedly being used as a channel for distributing pregabalin.
The taskforce chairman also questioned the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, over the issuance of import licences for pregabalin despite the substance having been rescheduled as a controlled drug on September 14, 2026.
He described pregabalin as one of the most abused substances in Kano, alleging that it featured prominently among drugs recovered from suspects arrested during the taskforce’s operations.
“Pregabalin has become one of the most widely abused substances in Kano. Eight out of every 10 suspected drug users arrested in the state have either been found in possession of the drug or admitted to abusing it,” he said.
Providing an account of the taskforce’s operations, Rimingado disclosed that 1,760 persons had been arrested, while 890 had been convicted. He added that 63 suspects were awaiting trial.
He said about 690 convicted persons were currently in correctional facilities, while others had been sent for rehabilitation, fined or sentenced to community service.
The chairman warned that public officials found aiding or abetting the illegal drug trade would face legal consequences, irrespective of their positions.
“We will deploy all necessary legal means against anyone found aiding or abetting the illegal drug trade, including public officials,” he said.
He maintained that the taskforce would pursue those behind the supply and distribution of illicit drugs as part of efforts to address the growing challenge of substance abuse in Kano State.
