The Kano State Multi-Agency Task Force on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking has raised concerns over the growing abuse and circulation of pregabalin, disclosing that it has arrested 1,760 suspects and secured 890 convictions in its operations against drug-related offences.
The task force chairman, Muhuyi Rimingado, made the disclosure while briefing journalists on Saturday, saying the committee had also seized 3.18 million pregabalin capsules in recent operations.
“Currently, based on the operations of this committee, 1,760 arrests were made and 890 convicted so far,” Rimingado said.
He said pregabalin was the most widely abused substance in Kano, adding that eight out of every 10 suspected drug users arrested by the task force were either found in possession of the drug or admitted to using it.
“Eight out of 10 suspected drug users arrested in the state have been found either in possession of or confessed to abusing this product,” he said.
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Rimingado said the task force was concerned that the drug remained widely available on the streets despite regulatory measures aimed at controlling its distribution.
“I cannot in good conscience continue to go after the victims (users) while the perpetrators (dealers) are given shield by those that have a statutory responsibility of protecting them from accessing these drugs they tend to abuse,” he said.
“890 of the 1,760 suspects arrested had been convicted, while 63 were awaiting trial and about 690 were in correctional facilities. Others, he added, had been sent for rehabilitation, fined or given community service,” he said.
The chairman called for stronger collaboration among regulatory agencies, warning that efforts to curb drug abuse would be undermined if institutions responsible for controlling access to restricted medicines failed to perform their duties.
“The fight against drug abuse in Kano State has reached a point where some drastic actions need to be taken against accomplices who may have turned the privilege of holding public office into an enabling environment for illicit drug trafficking,” he said.
