Kano gov sets up Special Task Force to tackle drug abuse, appoints Muhuyi Magaji chair
Kano State governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has approved the establishment of a Special Task Force on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
The development was announced on Thursday, June 25, 2026, in a statement issued by the governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa.
The governor appointed Muhuyi Magaji Rimingado, the immediate past chairman of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC), to chair the high-powered committee.
According to the statement, the task force was established to provide a robust, multi-agency framework. Its primary goals are to disrupt illicit drug networks, accelerate the prosecution of offenders, and lower drug demand through aggressive public enlightenment and advocacy campaigns.
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The newly formed task force brings together top security officials, healthcare professionals, traditional institutions, and civil society.
Dr. Ibrahim Garba Muhammad, the executive secretary of the Consumer Protection Council, will serve as the secretary, while Aliyu Muhammad Sani, director of research and evaluation at REPA, joins as co-secretary.
Other notable members of the 20-man committee include A.A. Zaura, the Kano State Commander of Narcotics, NDLEA, the Coordinator of the Kiru Reformative Centre, representatives from the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) and the Ministry of Health, representatives from the DSS, Nigeria Police Force, NSCDC, Nigeria Customs Service, and Nigeria Immigration Service, representatives from the Kano State Hisbah Board, the Kano Emirate Council, and the Council of Ulama
Others are Maryam Muhammad (Northwest University), Ambassador Maryam Hassan (LESPADA) and Sani Isa Romi (Senior Special Assistant on Pharmaceuticals).
Terms of Reference
The task force has been handed a wide-ranging, aggressive mandate to clean up the state. On the enforcement front, the committee is tasked with strengthening intelligence sharing among security agencies, identifying major drug distribution hubs, and executing targeted raids and arrests.
Furthermore, the team is empowered to recommend the seizure of assets linked to illicit drug trafficking.
To ensure that arrested suspects face swift justice, the terms of reference mandate the task force to develop mechanisms for fast-tracking prosecutions. This will include standardizing forensic procedures, improving evidence gathering, and collaborating directly with the judiciary to establish special fast-track courts dedicated strictly to drug-related offenses.
Focus on rehabilitation
Beyond enforcement, the state government is targeting the root causes of addiction. The task force is expected to spearhead statewide public awareness campaigns focusing heavily on students, youth, and other vulnerable groups.
The committee will work hand-in-hand with religious and traditional institutions to build community-driven, confidential reporting channels, while simultaneously promoting rehabilitation and support services for those already battling dependency.
Reiterating his administration’s zero-tolerance stance on narcotics, Governor Yusuf described drug abuse as one of the single greatest threats to the future of the younger generation. He pledged that the state would deploy every resource at its disposal to fight the menace through a balanced approach of enforcement, prevention, and rehabilitation.
While charging the committee members to discharge their duties with the utmost professionalism, patriotism, and commitment, the Governor urged them to hit the ground running to safeguard the future of Kano State.
