A major drug trafficking operation may have been uncovered in Kano following the seizure of approximately 3.18 million capsules of suspected Pregabalin from a residential apartment in Sabon Gari, with a 34-year-old man arrested in connection with the discovery.
The seizure, one of the first major operations by Kano State’s newly inaugurated Rapid Response Squad, has renewed concerns over the scale of illicit drug distribution and substance abuse in the state.
The Kano State Multi-Agency Task Force on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking said its operatives acted on intelligence received through its public reporting platforms, leading them to an apartment at No. 13 Apple Avenue, Normansland, Sabon Gari, in Fagge Local Government Area.
The operation took place less than 24 hours after Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf commissioned the Rapid Response Squad to strengthen the fight against drug trafficking, substance abuse and thuggery.
The suspect, identified as Gregory Ogbuji, 34, was arrested during the raid.
The Task Force alleged that he had links with SEEMARK PHARMA LTD, registered under number 2012546. He has been charged under Section 249 of the Penal Code, while another suspect allegedly connected with the operation remains at large.
Chairman of the Task Force, Muhuyi Magaji Rimin Gado, described the operation as evidence that intelligence-led enforcement could deliver results when residents actively cooperate with security agencies.
He expressed concern over the growing abuse of Pregabalin in Kano, disclosing that the substance featured in approximately eight out of every 10 drug-related operations handled by the Task Force.
He warned that the trend had become a serious public health and security concern, requiring more aggressive enforcement and community vigilance.
The Rapid Response Squad was established to provide swift intervention against drug abuse, illicit trafficking, thuggery and other criminal activities.
Rimin Gado warned drug dealers and their collaborators that the Task Force would not spare anyone found involved in the illegal trade.
He called on residents to report suspicious activities through the agency’s reporting platforms and Command and Call Centre, stressing that public cooperation remained vital to dismantling drug distribution networks.
The latest seizure presents an early test of Kano State’s renewed security strategy, particularly its ability to disrupt the supply chains sustaining the widespread abuse of illicit substances.
