A Kano Central Senatorial candidate in 2023 under the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdulsalam Abdulkarim Zaura, has advocated concerted efforts to tackle rising cases of drug abuse and criminal thuggery in the state.

Zaura, who threw his weight behind state government measures to nip in the bud the menace of youth restiveness, insisted that reforming the youth must be devoid of political inclination.

“Before stepping into this convocation hall, I have dropped my APC membership outside because the fight against drug abuse must not have anything to do with APC, NNPP, PDP, or whatever. It should be about Kano.

“We support the state government to fight and put the menace under control, and when peace returns to Kano, we will benefit from it. Is it not you and I and our families that will rejoice? Are we going to remember one party in power while the entire system is crippled by not taking the right action now?” Zaura said.

Zaura raised the concern during the Stakeholders Strategic Engagement with the Academic Community held at Bayero University, Kano.

The engagement was organised by the Centre for Economic, Social and Population Research (CESPOR), Bayero University, in collaboration with AA Zaura Foundation International to design solution-based initiatives to combat criminal tendencies among youth in Kano.

The engagement with the academics, after similar meetings with Islamic scholars and the business community, was part of AA Zaura Foundation’s commitment to addressing social challenges while creating opportunities for self-reliance.

Zaura regretted the high rate of young people involved in drug abuse and phone snatching as a result of restiveness, adding that stakeholders must join forces with authorities before it gets out of control.

Zaura explained that Foundation International has developed a comprehensive study-solutions framework and a strategic plan of action to end Daba in Kano.

“The fight against Daba is not merely about curbing violence; it is about restoring human dignity, reclaiming wasted potential, and rebuilding the moral and social fabric of our communities.

“The academic community has a critical role to play. Beyond today’s dialogue and strategic engagement, we must strengthen collaborations that drive rigorous advocacy, produce empirically grounded reports, and publish opinion pieces that illuminate the depth of the problem while showcasing innovative solutions initiated by the AA Zaura Foundation International,” he said.