The Taskforce on drug abuse has clamped down on five hotspots and arrested 28 suspects for drug-related cases in Rimin-Gado town, Kano.

The operation, launched in collaboration with joint security agencies and paramilitary at the hometown of the Chairman of the Taskforce, Muhuyi Magaji Rimin-Gado, signals a decisive readiness to smoke out criminal elements in Kano.

Briefing journalists after the operation, the leader of the joint taskforce, Rimin-Gado, said the targeted actions were undertaken to demonstrate the Task Force’s impartial enforcement of its mandate.

The immediate past Chairman of the State Anti-Corruption Commission reminded that taking the fight to his hometown is a clear message that no one is above the law.

“We are treating every community equally and enforcing the law without bias. Our guiding principle is ‘Kano First,’ and we are determined to ensure a peaceful, prosperous and drug‑free state in line with the vision of His Excellency, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf,” he stated.

He emphasized that beginning operations in his hometown is deliberate and symbolic, adding that his own community is the first step in a wider campaign that will extend beyond the Kano metropolis to all 44 local government areas.

The taskforce boss asserted that the operation intended to combine kinetic interventions to disrupt criminal activity with coordinated investigative follow‑up, added that investigations are ongoing and those found culpable will be prosecuted in accordance with the law.

“The Task Force is pursuing a balanced approach that pairs enforcement with prevention and recovery. While kinetic measures continue to dismantle illicit networks, non‑kinetic efforts are being intensified through engagement with community leaders.

” We are also particular on regulatory bodies, health services, and educational partners to raise awareness, strengthen supply‑chain controls, and expand rehabilitative support for those affected by substance use. Members of the public are urged to support ongoing operations by reporting suspicious activity or information relevant to drug trafficking and abuse.

“The Kano State Multi‑Joint Task Force on Drug Abuse and Other Related Crimes remains committed to sustaining momentum, upholding professional standards and safeguarding the health and security of all residents across the state”, he said.

Governor Yusuf recently declared an Executive Order that prohibited trafficking and abuse in the state to crack down on the increasing abuse of illicit substances.

Appending his signature on the new executive order, the Governor subsequently inaugurated an Anti-Substance Abuse Taskforce Committee to execute the Public Safety Emergency Order.

The Governor maintained that provisions of section 97 A of the Penal Code Law of Kano State and CAP 89 of 1991 empower him to declare the menace unlawful.

The Governor described drug abuse as one of the major threats to security and public peace in Kano, worried that a larger population of youth now abuses all sorts of illicit substances, which are currently fueling violent crimes, destroying families, weakening the economy, and undermining social stability.

According to the Governor, parts of the task of the committee include identifying, mapping, and dismantling all Daba Gang hideouts, illicit drug dens, and territorial enclaves in the state.

He said the task force is empowered by the Executive Order to arrest, detain, and prosecute Daba Gang leaders, members, sponsors, and financiers of the illicit drug trafficking.