The Kano Strategic Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested 73 suspected drug offenders and recovered various illicit substances during a major operation targeting notorious drug hotspots across Kano State.
The arrests were made during a one-day intelligence-led raid conducted under the agency’s ongoing “Operation Sharar Mafaka,” according to a statement issued on Friday by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Sadiq Maigatari.
The operation focused on identified drug dens within the Kano metropolis, including Filin Mahaha, the Sani Abacha Youth Centre, and parts of the Sheka area, all known for persistent drug-related activities.
According to the agency, officers recovered significant quantities of illegal substances, including Cannabis sativa, Diazepam, Pregabalin, Exol-5, a dangerous substance commonly referred to as “suck and die,” as well as other materials linked to drug trafficking and consumption.
The NDLEA explained that the operation forms part of a broader strategy aimed at identifying, dismantling, and permanently disrupting drug distribution networks operating within the state.
“This operation is a continuation of ‘Operation Sharar Mafaka,’ the command’s ongoing effort to identify, dislodge and dismantle notorious drug joints across the state,” the statement noted.
The agency further revealed that it has adopted a “dislodge-and-occupy” strategy designed to prevent drug traffickers from returning to previously raided locations and re-establishing their operations.
Officials said the approach is intended to deny criminal elements safe havens while strengthening community safety and reducing substance abuse-related crimes.
The command reiterated its commitment to carrying out sustained enforcement actions in line with the directives of the NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Buba Marwa.
“We will continue to dislodge and occupy these drug joints in line with the direction of our Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, until there is no safe place left for illicit drug activities,” the statement added.
The agency also appealed to residents to support ongoing anti-drug campaigns by providing credible and timely intelligence that could assist law enforcement authorities in identifying and dismantling criminal networks involved in drug trafficking and abuse.
