The chairman of the Kano State Joint Task Force Committee on Drug Abuse, Muhuyi Magaji Rimin Gado Wednesday stated that about 70 per cent of major crimes recorded in the state are linked to substance abuse.
Blueprint reports that Rimin Gado made the disclosure during an engagement with journalists in Kano, when he called on the media to support the state government’s campaign against drug abuse, illicit drug trafficking and gang violence through sustained public enlightenment.
Citing police statistics, he said the Kano state Police command recorded about 3,080 arrests for major crimes across the state last year, with approximately 70.2 per cent of the cases linked to drug abuse.
If drug abuse had been effectively addressed, thousands of these crimes would probably not have occurred, he said.
He stated that it is the reason the government is determined to confront the menace through this joint task force.
Rimin Gado added that the committee was established following Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s declaration of a state-wide public health emergency on substance abuse and was mandated to combat illicit drug trafficking, rehabilitate victims and prosecute offenders.
He said the committee’s strategy extends beyond law enforcement to include prevention, rehabilitation and community engagement as part of a comprehensive approach to tackling the menace.
He stated that the committee would work closely with communities, security agencies and other relevant stakeholders to address the root causes of substance abuse and the criminal activities associated with it.