Kano Gov. declares drug abuse emergency, signs Executive Orders banning narcotics, restricts night movement

On Wednesday, Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State signed sweeping executive orders outlawing the sale, trafficking, and consumption of illicit substances, while also instituting curfews in areas notorious for drug-related crime.

Effective immediately, the directives prohibit the distribution of illegal narcotics and unregistered pharmaceutical products without a proper prescription.

Additionally, a nightly movement restriction from 6 pm to 10 am has been imposed on identified drug and criminal hotspots to aid security operations.

To enforce these measures, the governor inaugurated a Multi-Agency Anti-Substance Abuse Task Force.

Security agencies are now authorized to stop, search, arrest, and prosecute offenders, and properties used for drug trafficking risk forfeiture through the revocation of their Certificates of Occupancy.

Citing Section 97A of the Kano State Penal Code Law, Yusuf stated that drug abuse is a primary driver of violent crime, family breakdown, and economic instability among the state’s youth.

The newly formed task force has been mandated to gather intelligence, dismantle criminal hideouts and drug dens, lead public awareness campaigns, and coordinate rehabilitation programs.

Task Force Chairman Muhuyi Rimingado pledged to execute the mandate with uncompromising integrity, vowing close collaboration with security agencies, traditional rulers, religious leaders, and civil society to restore peace.

The committee includes representatives from the police, DSS, NDLEA, Customs, Immigration, Civil Defence, as well as local institutions and community groups.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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