Kano Task Force Secures Nine-Year Jail Terms for Two over Supply of Intoxicants to Children
The Kano State Multi-Agencies Task Force on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking has secured the conviction of two men sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment each for supplying rubber solution and other intoxicating substances to vulnerable children in Kano.
The convicts, Kabiru Isa, also known as Mada, and Usman Hamisu, popularly called Mani, were sentenced by Magistrate Muhammad Alhaji Sani of Magistrate Court No. 44, Gwammaja, Kano.
They were convicted of criminal conspiracy, membership of an unlawful society and administering intoxicating substances, offences contrary to Sections 97, 97A and 249 of the Penal Code.
According to a statement by Lamara Garba, a member of the Media and Publicity Committee of the Task Force, the court imposed cumulative nine-year prison terms on each convict without an option of fine, with the sentences to run consecutively.
The court further directed that each year of imprisonment be served as a full 12 calendar months without excluding weekends.
The convictions followed investigations by the Task Force, chaired by Muhuyi Magaji, Esq., into the exposure of vulnerable children living and scavenging around the Race Course area of Kano to intoxicating substances.
The investigation followed the rescue of 43 children, most of them underage, from the area. While some were Kano indigenes, others had reportedly arrived from different parts of the country and subsequently became exposed to street life.
According to the Task Force, investigations uncovered a practice in which children engaged in street-based scavenging were allegedly given rubber solution and other harmful substances in place of proper payment for services rendered.
The Task Force said the practice exposed the children to intoxicants while worsening their vulnerability and susceptibility to substance abuse.
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Chairman of the Task Force, Muhuyi Magaji, said the conviction demonstrated the government’s resolve to hold accountable individuals who exploit vulnerable children or expose them to harmful substances.
He said enforcement would remain a major component of the Task Force’s operations, warning that individuals and groups involved in supplying intoxicants to children or encouraging substance abuse would be investigated and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
Magaji, however, said the intervention would not be limited to arrests and prosecution, stressing that prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration were equally important in addressing substance abuse.
The Task Force said the rescue of the 43 children formed part of a broader initiative aimed at taking 10,000 vulnerable young people off the streets, particularly those exposed to substance abuse and other harmful influences.
Under the programme, beneficiaries would undergo medical and psychosocial assessments to determine the appropriate interventions required.
Those requiring treatment would receive medical and rehabilitation support, while others would be enrolled in skills-acquisition programmes and assisted towards eventual reintegration into their families and communities.
Magaji said vulnerable children affected by substance abuse should be protected and provided with opportunities to recover rather than treated solely as offenders.
He warned, however, that individuals who deliberately exploit children and young people for personal gain would be held accountable.
The Task Force also called on parents, traditional and community leaders, institutions and other stakeholders to strengthen efforts to protect children from drug abuse and exploitation.
It stressed that tackling drug abuse and illicit trafficking required cooperation among government agencies, families, communities and other stakeholders, while reaffirming its commitment to combining enforcement against offenders with rehabilitation and support for vulnerable young people.
By PRNigeria
