Kano, the North’s largest urban centre, has a drug problem. Proof comes again from the fresh account rendered by the Chairman of the Kano State Joint Task Force Committee on Drug Abuse, Muhuyi Gado. Gado reiterated that about 70 per cent of major crimes recorded in Kano State are linked to substance abuse. The state government has its hands full, but it must overcome this social menace with fresh strategies.
Indeed, this once again draws attention to the growing nexus between illicit drug use and insecurity in northern Nigeria.
The revelation indicates that drug abuse has evolved beyond a public health concern into a major security challenge.
Unless the government and other stakeholders tackle the underlying socio-economic factors behind substance abuse in the North, the region may continue to witness rising levels of violence and criminality.
In his comments during an engagement with journalists in Kano, Gado urged the media to support the state’s campaign against drug abuse, illicit drug trafficking and gang violence through sustained public enlightenment.
He cited police records showing that the Kano State Police Command made about 3,080 arrests for major crimes in 2025, with approximately 70.2 per cent of the cases linked to substance abuse.
“If drug abuse had been effectively addressed, thousands of these crimes would probably not have occurred. That is why the government is determined to confront the menace through this joint task force,” he said.
According to him, the committee was constituted after Governor Abba Yusuf declared a state-wide public health emergency on substance abuse. The committee was mandated to curb illicit drug trafficking, rehabilitate victims and prosecute offenders.
He explained that the government’s response extends beyond arrests and prosecution, incorporating prevention, rehabilitation and community engagement. Gado is right. The activities of violent groups are largely fuelled by drug abuse.
The alarming figures from Kano are consistent with a broader pattern across Northern Nigeria, where drug abuse has increasingly become intertwined with banditry, gang violence, armed robbery and other violent crimes.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Drug Use Survey indicate that the past-year prevalence of drug use in Northern Nigeria ranges between 10 and 14.9 per cent.
The North-West and North-Central geopolitical zones remain among the hardest-hit regions, with widespread abuse of prescription opioids such as tramadol and codeine alongside cannabis.
On June 29, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency’s Kano Strategic Command publicly destroyed 12.234 tonnes of illicit narcotics and psychotropic substances valued at N3.8 billion under its War Against Drug Abuse initiative.
The destroyed drugs included cannabis sativa, tramadol, codeine, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, pregabalin, diazepam and pentazocine, highlighting the diversity and scale of substances circulating within the state.
Across many communities in Northern Nigeria, unemployment, poverty and limited economic opportunities continue to push many young people towards substance abuse.
Reports from the region suggest that some youths, despite completing skills acquisition programmes, are unable to secure employment or access the seed capital needed to establish small businesses. For many, frustration and hopelessness create conditions that make drug abuse increasingly attractive.
The consequences often extend beyond addiction. Drug dependence has been linked to the formation of violent gangs, communal clashes, attacks and reprisal attacks that have destabilised several communities across the region.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has consistently identified multiple drivers of substance abuse in Nigeria. According to the agency, the crisis is fuelled by a combination of peer pressure, widespread unemployment, poverty and the easy accessibility of illicit drugs as well as the non-medical use of prescription medicines.
There is an urgent need for a comprehensive response that combines effective law enforcement with sustained public education. The state government needs to partner with religious bodies, community leaders, and corporations to ramp up youth empowerment, improve access to rehabilitation services, and strengthen regulation of the pharmaceutical supply chain.
Combating the drug menace requires a multi-pronged approach that spans prevention, evidence-based treatment, legal reforms, and socioeconomic support. Effective strategies must treat substance use disorders as both public health and security challenges.
