Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Kano State Command, have arrested a suspected drug peddler following a dramatic chase that saw the suspect jump from the second floor of a building at the Audu Bako Secretariat in a desperate attempt to evade arrest. The agency confirmed the arrest in a statement issued on Thursday, 30 April 2026, by its spokesman, Sadiq Maigatari.
The arrest was carried out under the agency’s ongoing crackdown code‑named “Operation Sharar Mafaka,” which has been targeting drug hotspots across the Kano metropolis. According to Maigatari, operatives acted on credible intelligence that drug joints had been operating within the government secretariat. “On sighting NDLEA officers, the suspect climbed to the second floor of a building within the secretariat and jumped from behind the structure in an attempt to evade arrest,” the spokesman said. Despite the perilous escape bid, operatives quickly apprehended the suspect and recovered several parcels of cannabis sativa from his possession.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect, who works as a car washer, had been actively engaged in the illicit drug trade for over two years. NDLEA Commander for the Kano Strategic Command, CN D. Y. Lawal, issued a stern warning that government establishments would no longer be tolerated as hideouts for criminal activity. “This is a warning to all those who think government establishments can be used as a hideout for their illicit activities,” Lawal declared. He reaffirmed that “Operation Sharar Mafaka” would continue with sustained intensity to dismantle drug distribution points and ensure that offenders are brought to justice.
The arrest at the secretariat was part of a larger, two‑day offensive that saw the NDLEA net a total of 52 suspects across multiple drug hubs in Kano. The agency disclosed that the operation, which began on 27 April 2026, targeted over 20 known drug locations. On the first day, operatives raided Filin Idi, Tashar Rami, Fagge, Abattoir, and Farm Centre, arresting 15 suspects and seizing quantities of illicit substances. The momentum was sustained the following morning with raids at Hotoro Flyover, Mariri Park, Ramin Jirga Tishama, Yankaba Park, and the Audu Bako Secretariat, where the fleeing suspect was caught. In total, 52 suspects — four of them women — were apprehended. The agency also recovered assorted illicit drugs, drug paraphernalia, and locally made weapons used by the criminal networks.
Commander Lawal described the operation’s strategy as “dislodge and occupy.” “We will dislodge criminal joints, arrest suspects, seize exhibits, and occupy premises until normalcy is restored,” he said. He called on members of the public to support the agency’s efforts by providing credible information to help rid communities of drug‑related activities.
The NDLEA has reaffirmed that “Operation Sharar Mafaka” is a sustained campaign, not a one‑off exercise, and that it aligns fully with the national anti‑drug agenda of the agency’s Chairman, Brigadier General Mohammed Buba Marwa (retd.), whose goal is to achieve a drug‑free society. With the operation still active, the command has vowed to continue its aggressive enforcement and community engagement until all drug distribution networks in Kano are dismantled.
The Kano Strategic Command has invited residents to join the fight by staying vigilant and reporting any suspicious drug activity to the nearest NDLEA office. As the command intensifies its watch, the message to drug peddlers is clear: no hiding place, not even within the walls of a government secretariat, is safe from the long arm of the law.
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