The Kano State Multi-Agency Task Force on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking says it has arrested more than 380 suspects and secured over 230 convictions within two months of its inauguration on July 22, 2026. The task force said the operations were conducted across identified drug and criminal hotspots in the state.

Chairman of the task force, Muhuyi Magaji Rimin Gado, said the operations covered areas including Race Course, Filin Idi, Filin Mahaha, Tashar Rami, Kawo and Tashar Rimi. Authorities recovered substances including Cannabis Sativa, Exol-5, Diazepam, Pentazocine, Tramadol and Pregabalin, as well as locally made weapons such as knives, cutlasses, daggers and clubs.

The task force also disclosed the seizure of about 870,000 Pregabalin capsules from a pharmaceutical company, amid concerns over the alleged diversion of controlled medicines from legitimate supply chains. It further said 43 underage children who had allegedly been exposed to intoxicating substances were rescued, while about 125 people were referred for rehabilitation at the Kano State Reformatory Institute in Kiru.

Rimin Gado said the task force is targeting 10,000 youths for rehabilitation, skills acquisition and reintegration into society. He said the initiative would continue to combine enforcement with rehabilitation, while security agencies and other stakeholders work to tackle drug abuse, thuggery, phone snatching and related criminal activities across Kano State.