By Our Correspondent
Two men, Kabiru Isa, popularly known as Mada, and Usman Hamisu, also known as Mani, have been sentenced to a cumulative nine years in prison each for supplying rubber solution and other intoxicating substances to underage children in Kano.
The two were convicted by Magistrate Muhammad Alhaji Sani of Magistrate Court No. 44, Gwammaja, Kano, after being 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.
This was disclosed in a press statement issued to media outlets in Kano by Lamara Garba, a member of the Media and Publicity Committee of the Kano State Multi-Agencies Task Force on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
The statement further said the court imposed a cumulative nine-year jail term on each convict without an option of fine, with the sentences to run consecutively.
The court further ordered that each year of the sentence be served as a full 12 calendar months, including weekends.
Their conviction followed investigations by the Kano State Multi-Agencies Task Force on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking into the alleged exposure of vulnerable children to intoxicating substances around Race Course in Kano.
The investigation began after the task force rescued 43 children, most of them underage, from the Race Course area.
According to the task force, some of the children were indigenes of Kano, while others had travelled to the state from different parts of the country and became trapped in street life.
Investigations reportedly revealed that some children engaged in street-based scavenging were being supplied with rubber solution and other harmful substances instead of receiving proper payment for their services.
The task force, headed by its chairman, Muhuyi Magaji, said the development exposed the children to substance abuse and further increased their vulnerability.
The arrest and conviction of the two men, the task force said, underscored its determination to dismantle activities and networks involved in exploiting vulnerable children and exposing young people to substance abuse.
The chairman said enforcement remained a key component of the agency’s mandate, warning that individuals or groups involved in supplying intoxicating substances to children, exploiting vulnerable youths or encouraging drug abuse would be identified, investigated and prosecuted.
He, however, said the intervention would not be limited to arrest and prosecution.
According to him, the rescue of the 43 children forms part of a broader initiative aimed at taking 10,000 vulnerable youths off the streets, particularly those exposed to substance abuse and other harmful influences.
He said the initiative would involve medical and psychosocial assessments, treatment where necessary, rehabilitation, skills acquisition and eventual reintegration into society.
Magaji stressed that the objective was not only to remove vulnerable youths from the streets but also to provide them with opportunities to rebuild their lives, acquire useful skills and become productive members of society.
He urged parents, community leaders, traditional institutions and other stakeholders to intensify efforts to protect children and young people from substance abuse.
He added that the fight against drug abuse and illicit trafficking could not be won by government agencies alone, stressing the need for collective action by families, communities and institutions.
The chairman warned that those who deliberately exploit vulnerable children and young people for personal gain would be held accountable under the law.
He said while offenders would face the consequences of their actions, vulnerable children and youths would continue to receive protection, treatment, rehabilitation, skills training and support towards their reintegration into society.
