The Kano State Multi Agencies Task Force on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, has secured the conviction and imprisonment of two men for supplying rubber solution and other intoxicating substances to vulnerable underage children in Kano, sending a strong warning that those who exploit children and expose them to harmful substances will continue to face the full wrath of the law.
The two convicts, Kabiru Isa (Mada) and Usman Hamisu (Mani), were sentenced by Magistrate Muhammad Alhaji Sani of Magistrate Court Number 44, Gwammaja, Kano, after being found guilty of criminal conspiracy, membership of an unlawful society and administering intoxicating substances, contrary to Sections 97, 97A and 249 of the Kano state Penal Code.
The court sentenced each of the convicts to a cumulative jail term of nine years without an option of fine, with the sentences to run consecutively.
The court further ordered that each year of the sentence be served as a full 12 calendar months, without the exclusion of weekends, thereby requiring the convicts to serve the full terms imposed by the court.
The conviction followed an intensive investigation by the Kano State Multi Agencies Task Force on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking under the leadership of its Chairman, Muhuyi Magaji, into circumstances surrounding the exposure of vulnerable children on the streets of Race Course, Kano, to intoxicating substances.
The case emerged following the rescue of 43 children, most of them underage, from the Race Course area.
While some of the children are indigenes of Kano State, others had arrived in Kano from different parts of the country and had become trapped in the harsh realities of street life.
Investigations by the Task Force uncovered a disturbing pattern in which children engaged in street based scavenging were supplied with rubber solution and other harmful substances instead of receiving proper payment for their services.
This practice exposed the children to intoxicants and further deepened their vulnerability.
Observers brlievr that the arrest, prosecution and eventual conviction of the two men, represent a decisive enforcement action by the Task Force and reinforce its resolve to dismantle networks and activities that exploit vulnerable children and expose young people to substance abuse.
However, the Task Force has made it clear that enforcement remains a central pillar of its mandate.
Individuals or groups involved in supplying intoxicating substances to children, exploiting vulnerable young people or encouraging drug abuse will be identified, investigated, arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
However, the intervention of the Task Force goes beyond arrest and prosecution.
The rescue of the 43 children is part of a broader ambition to take 10,000 vulnerable youths off the streets, particularly those exposed to substance abuse and other harmful influences, and provide them with a structured pathway towards recovery and a productive future.
Under the initiative, vulnerable youths will be removed from harmful street environments and subjected to appropriate medical and psychosocial assessment.
Those requiring treatment will receive necessary interventions, while others will be supported through rehabilitation, skills acquisition and eventual reintegration into society.
The objective is not merely to remove young people from the streets, but to give them a genuine opportunity to rebuild their lives with dignity, acquire useful skills and become productive members of their communities.
Speaking on the conviction and the broader intervention, the Chairman of the Task Force, Muhuyi Magaji, said the Task Force would continue to pursue its mandate with firmness while combining enforcement with prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration.
He stressed that children and young people who have become vulnerable to substance abuse must not simply be viewed through the lens of enforcement but should also be protected and given the opportunity to recover and rebuild their lives.
At the same time, he warned that those who deliberately exploit the vulnerability of children and young people for personal gain would not escape accountability.
The Task Force therefore called on parents, community leaders, traditional institutions and relevant stakeholders to intensify efforts towards protecting children and young people from the dangers of substance abuse.
The Task Force maintained that the fight against drug abuse and illicit trafficking cannot be won by government agencies alone. It requires the vigilance, cooperation and collective commitment of parents, communities, institutions and all members of society.
Magaji added that: ‘The message from this conviction is clear and unmistakable: the streets must not become breeding grounds for the exploitation of children, and those who supply intoxicating substances to vulnerable young people will be pursued, arrested, prosecuted and held accountable under the law.
‘While offenders will face the consequences of their actions, vulnerable children and young people will continue to be offered protection, treatment, rehabilitation, skills and a renewed opportunity to build productive lives and contribute positively to society.’