By Ado Salisu
The Kano State Multi-Agency Task Force on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking has secured the conviction and imprisonment of two men for supplying rubber solution and other intoxicating substances to vulnerable underage children in Kano.
The convictions send a strong warning that individuals who exploit children and expose them to harmful substances will face the full weight of the law.
The convicts, Kabiru Isa (Mada) and Usman Hamisu (Mani), were sentenced by Magistrate Muhammad Alhaji Sani of Magistrate Court No. 44, Gwammaja, Kano.
They were found guilty of criminal conspiracy, membership of an unlawful society and administering intoxicating substances, contrary to Sections 97, 97A and 249 of the Penal Code.
The court sentenced each convict to a cumulative nine-year jail term without an option of fine, with the sentences to run consecutively.
The court also ordered that each year of the sentence be served as a full 12 calendar months, including weekends.
The conviction followed an investigation by the Kano State Multi-Agency Task Force, led by its Chairman, Muhuyi Magaji, Esq., into the exposure of vulnerable children to intoxicating substances around Race Course, Kano.
The case followed the rescue of 43 children, most of them underage, from the area. Some were from Kano, while others had arrived from different parts of the country and become trapped in street life.
Investigations revealed that some children engaged in street-based scavenging were allegedly supplied with rubber solution and other harmful substances instead of receiving proper payment for their services.
The Task Force said the arrest, prosecution and conviction of the two men demonstrate its determination to dismantle activities that exploit vulnerable children and expose them to substance abuse.
The agency said it would continue to identify, investigate, arrest and prosecute individuals involved in supplying intoxicating substances to children or encouraging drug abuse.
Beyond enforcement, the Task Force said the rescue of the 43 children forms part of a wider plan to take 10,000 vulnerable youths off the streets and provide them with rehabilitation, skills acquisition and reintegration opportunities.
Speaking on the development, Muhuyi Magaji said the Task Force would combine enforcement with prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration.
He stressed the need to protect vulnerable children and young people while ensuring that those who exploit them for personal gain are held accountable.
The Task Force also called on parents, community leaders, traditional institutions and other stakeholders to strengthen efforts to protect children and young people from substance abuse.
It said the fight against drug abuse and illicit trafficking requires the collective efforts of government agencies, families, communities and other stakeholders.
The Task Force warned that those who supply intoxicating substances to vulnerable children will be pursued, prosecuted and held accountable under the law.