The Kano State Government has unveiled a major rehabilitation drive aimed at taking 10,000 drug users off the streets within one year, with authorities opting for treatment and empowerment instead of simply sending offenders to jail.
The initiative is part of a broader strategy to tackle the growing problem of substance abuse and its links to unemployment, youth violence and other crimes in the state.
Chairman of the Kano State Multi-Joint Task Force on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Muhuyi Magaji Rimin-Gado, announced the plan on Saturday.
Rimin-Gado said the government was changing its approach to drug abuse by focusing not only on arrests and prosecution but also on detoxification, rehabilitation, vocational training and economic empowerment.
He said the government’s immediate target was to remove 10,000 people from the streets within 12 months and give them an opportunity to overcome addiction and become productive members of society.
The rehabilitation process, according to him, will begin with detoxification before beneficiaries are enrolled in rehabilitation programmes where they will receive counselling, training and other support.
Those undergoing rehabilitation are expected to acquire skills in areas such as tailoring, shoemaking, garment production and other crafts, enabling them to earn a living after completing the programme.
Rimin-Gado said the government was particularly concerned about the connection between drug abuse and violent crime among young people, including incidents involving firearms.
He stressed that the crackdown on drug users was not intended to punish them unnecessarily, but to rescue and rehabilitate those struggling with substance abuse.
The task force chairman disclosed that discussions were also ongoing with correctional authorities and other stakeholders to ensure that people released from correctional facilities could access rehabilitation and skills training to make their return to society easier.
He said drug users would not necessarily be treated alike, as authorities would consider the severity of each case. While some could face prosecution, particularly those found in possession of multiple substances, others could be referred to their parents or guardians for further intervention.
The programme is also expected to have an economic dimension, with the government planning to link rehabilitated persons to markets and income-generating opportunities across Kano.
Rimin-Gado said the approach would therefore not only help reduce drug dependence and violent crime but could also strengthen the state’s economic potential.
He acknowledged that the target of rehabilitating 10,000 people in one year was ambitious but said the government was determined to achieve it through collaboration with security agencies, correctional authorities, national agencies, private-sector players and other stakeholders.
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