The menace of drug abuse and hawking in Kano state is a long-running vice plaguing the state.
Most hawkers roam the streets selling hard and most times counterfeit drugs to ‘addicts’.
The prevalence of street drug selling in Kano is shaped by the size of the population, which provides a prefabricated market.
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Most of these drug hawkers in the age bracket of 20 to 35 years old manoeuvre their ways to sell toxic tablets, despite the laws restricting drug peddling in the state.
For the past decade, the Nigerian government has employed many legal, social and economic strategies towards curtailing drug trafficking in the Nation, none of which effectively contained the roots of the problem.
These drug hawkers do not know any pharmaceuticals but prescribe drugs for unsuspecting consumers.
It has become a norm to hawk drugs on Kano Street. When there is a low operation of security personnel, most of them mingle with roadside sellers to operate their business openly, making it easy for their customers to locate them.
Prices of contraband drugs range. Some are sold at 100 to 500 Naira per tablet by the drug traffickers.
At evening hour, Muhammad (drug hawker) is struggling to sell his drugs at Sabon Titi along Panshekara road, with a tray of narcotic medications, contraband caplets, and sex enhancement drugs, which attract customers – drug abusers and unsuspecting patrons.
Muhammad explained that he has been in the business of drug hawking for almost a decade, making a profit from his ‘illegal, daily drug trafficking.’
Daily News 24 questioned Muhammad, how long have you been in the business? He replied, “I have been peddling for seven years in Kano state”. What kind of drugs do you sell? “I sell sex enhancement drugs only”.
Did the government grant you the authority to sell drugs? “There is no clearance from the government, but I operate as a chemist”.
Where do you purchase medicines? “I purchased drugs from the roadside chemist or in the market when there are no security issues”.
Have you ever been arrested by a security agency? “Yes, I have been arrested countless times by security operatives, but they will intercept some of my drugs for their usage and give me the remaining in replacement of bail, while sometimes I will pay 6,000 to 7,000 and drugs for bail”.
Another drug peddler who sought anonymity at Sabon Titi, Panshekara road explained his drug peddling journey said, “I started drug hawking for over a decade on different Kano streets selling narcotics, contraband drugs and sex pills. I make huge profits from drug hawking business, and most of my customers are youths, elderly men, and security personnel on night duty”.
“I learnt how to sell and prescribe contraband drugs from my godfather, which I later established mine. I venture into drug selling due to the non-availability of jobs by the government. Most of these narcotics are purchased from Sabon Gari market in disguise”. He said.
He added that “I wish to stop selling toxic drugs because its illegal, with only the option of government providing us with jobs”.
Meeting Naziru, a drug peddler at his spot standing at his tray called his drug trafficking ‘Islamic Chemist’ exposes an association of drug peddlers in the well-known market ‘Sabon Gari’ where they purchased their narcotics from the drug cartels and sold it to addicts.
He explained, “I have been hawking drugs for about ten years. I sell sex enhancement drugs only. We have an association located at Janbulo in Sabon Gari market”.
“Several times, I have been arrested by police, but before they take us to NDLEA, we negotiate with the drugs or sometimes pay some money for bail”.
NDLEA: Kano has about 2 million drug addicts – Buba Marwa
On February 10th 2022, the Kano state government held a one-day sensitisation meeting with Guidance and Counseling mentors from Kano State tertiary institutions to fight against drug peddling and abuse.
In a report by NDLEA in 2016, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced the arrest of 50 street beggars for drug pushing in Kano.
The majority of the arrested beggars, who are within the age bracket of between 9 and 12 years, confessed to the crime, claiming they are paid N300 daily by the dealers to run the business.
NDLEA Chairman retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa earlier said in Kano that the state has about two million drug addicts, representing 16 per cent prevalence.
“In Kano State, drug abuse prevalence is 16 per cent; that is, in every six persons, one is a drug addict, and they are between the ages of 15 years and 64 years.
“Kano State has close to two million drug users abusing tramadol, codeine and other cough syrups, rather than cannabis”.
“I will like to mention here that since I assumed leadership of NDLEA in January, we have seized over two million kilogrammes of assorted drugs, estimated at billions of Naira”.
“Eight thousand people were arrested, and 1,600 are now serving jail terms in correctional service facilities, and we are still working”. Marwa said in 2021
DailyNews24 learnt that most of these peddlers disguise toxic and contraband drugs with a different pack of approved medicines to divert securities attention.
If we know them, we don’t sell to them – Usaini Labaran Zakari
In the process of digging how peddlers access contraband drugs before trafficking them on the street, DailyNews24 interviewed Usain Labaran Zakari from the Nigerian Association of Patent and Propriety Medicine Dealers Kano and also a committee member of Kanawa Pharmaceutical to address issues of drugs and their regulation in Kano cleared that by Nigerian Constitution anything that deals with Pharmaceutical is a matter of Federal Government and not a state matter.
He said, “Time back the Law against drug trafficking existed but was not imposed, it was imposed in Kano during Former Governor Kwankwaso by the committee of Task Force and Drugs Regulated Matter and people know about the Law.”
“It is unethical in the Nigerian Law to peddle drugs, but due to there is relax on the Law people continue to do it, we can not say people are not doing it, but anywhere you see the peddlers they are not more like before, as a wholesaler of Pharmaceutical if we see them we don’t sell to them”.
He added that “in most cases when they want to buy the drugs, they come as normal people not as peddlers identity, so if we know they are peddlers, we will not sell to them”.
“Enforcement of any law is by the enforcement agency. Our enforcement is only for our pharmaceutical members. Any breach of the Law we can sanction a member, so if there is any, we inform the authorities to arrest and prosecute the person”.
While breaking silence to Usaini Labaran Zakari on how peddlers communicate in getting contraband drugs such as Paracetamol means Cocodamol, Dexa means Diazepam and many other strategies used by peddlers. He replied, “We need that kind of information to prosecute defaulters. We will take measures on them, checkmate, seal shops and engage them with authorities. This is vital information to us. I will need them for investigation”.
He called on members of pharmaceuticals to refrain from selling toxic drugs to peddlers, warned it is at their own risk and the government must prosecute any defaulter, stressed that all drugs should be handled legally.
NAFDAC cautions Nigerians against buying drugs from hawkers
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) warned Nigerians to desist from buying drugs from street hawkers as most of the drugs are counterfeits and poison.
Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the NAFDAC Director-General, gave the warning saying their business would collapse if people stop buying.
Adeyeye, who spoke through Dr Abubakar Jimoh, the Director of Public Affairs of the agency, was reacting to the ongoing nationwide campaign by the agency against substandard products.
The NAFDAC boss described street drug hawking as an aberration and misnomer, adding that one of the focus campaigns was to change the narrative of drug hawking.
