Daud Olatunji
The Kano State Multi-Agency Task Force on Drug Abuse and Trafficking has announced plans to detoxify, rehabilitate and economically empower 10,000 youths affected by drug abuse within one year.
The Chairman of the task force, Muhuyi Magaji Rimin Gado, disclosed this in an interview, saying the initiative was designed to move young people away from drug abuse and street life and reintegrate them into productive economic activities.
Rimin Gado said the programme would combine drug testing, detoxification, rehabilitation, vocational training and employment opportunities, arguing that punitive measures alone were insufficient to address the growing challenge of drug abuse.
According to him, the intervention is a government-led programme to be implemented in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
He said beneficiaries would be trained in practical trades, including fabric and garment production, shoemaking, bag making, electrical works and solar technology.
Rimin Gado said the task force had already begun the process of identifying prospective beneficiaries, noting that forms had been distributed to youths who would participate in the programme.
“We seek to achieve detoxification, rehabilitation and employment. We will engage them in various areas,” he said.
He explained that beneficiaries would first undergo drug tests conducted by the relevant agency before those found to require intervention would proceed to detoxification and rehabilitation.
After rehabilitation, the youths would undergo vocational training aimed at equipping them with skills capable of providing sustainable livelihoods.
The task force chairman said some of the facilities earmarked for the training were government-owned centres under the Kano State Ministry of Investment, Commerce and Industry.
He said the programme was conceived against the backdrop of the social and security consequences associated with drug abuse, including unemployment, vulnerability and possible involvement in criminal activities.
“Drug abuse can deepen social vulnerability and expose affected youths to criminal activities and other security challenges, while also reducing their ability to participate productively in the economy,” Rimin Gado said.
He stressed that the intervention was intended to provide a more sustainable response to drug abuse by addressing some of the factors that keep affected youths trapped in the cycle.
According to him, simply arresting and imprisoning drug offenders without addressing the underlying issues may not prevent them from returning to drug-related activities after serving their sentences.
“Even if you jail them for 18 years, they will still come back,” he said.
Rimin Gado, however, made it clear that the rehabilitation initiative would not amount to a relaxation of enforcement.
He said anyone caught trafficking drugs or engaging in other drug-related offences would still face appropriate legal action.
The task force chairman said the distinction was necessary between those involved in drug trafficking and criminal activities and youths struggling with drug abuse who could benefit from rehabilitation and reintegration.
He said the ultimate objective was to help affected youths regain control of their lives, acquire employable skills and become economically productive.
The programme, he added, would complement enforcement efforts by providing a pathway for rehabilitation and economic reintegration rather than relying exclusively on arrest and incarceration.
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