45 Days:200 Raids, 200 Convictions, Gov Abba, Muhiyi Set National Benchmark
By Abba Anwar
In just 45 days, Kano State has rewritten the playbook on the fight against drug abuse and other related crimes. The Kano State Multi-Agency Task Force on Drug Abuse and Other Related Crimes, established under the directive of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, has executed over 200 precision raids and secured over 200 convictions in courts across the state. This record pace sends a clear message to criminal networks. Kano will no longer be a safe haven for drug peddlers.
To further show the genuine commitment and the political will of His Excellency, the Governor, four mobile courts are established to see to the successful operations of the Task Force. All the convictions were secured through the mobile courts. An examplary leadership of great substance.
This landmark achievement is a direct reflection of political will (Governor’s) meeting operational excellence (Muhiyi’s). Governor’s decisive leadership provided the mandate, while the Chairman of the Task Force Barrister Muhiyi Magaji Rimingado translated that vision into coordinated action on the ground. The results are not just statistics; they represent safer neighborhoods, rescued youths, and renewed hope for families across Kano.
It is exposure, experience and good track record that informs Rimingado’s constructive attention to understand that, drug abuse and the menace or crimes of the miscreants are identical twins.
One of the the good thing about the operations of the Task Force is the idea that great percentage of these miscreants would be taken to Kiru Reformation Centre for rehabilitation and skills acquisition, before their integration into society.
The Chairman reveals that, “It is up to the court to see if one’s offence does not warrant to be taken to Correctional Centre, then Kiru Reformation Centre is the option. We have a plan that Ten Thousand (10,000) will be trained in skills acquisition. To divert their attention and effort from being liabilities to society to become assets.”
To show the commitment of the entire Task Force committee, preparation has been on top gear for Forward Operation Base, where intelligence on drug abuse in whatever form, eg marketing, production, etc and hideouts of miscreants can be reported on 24/7 basis. Provision of Call Centres. Kudos to this all-important Task Force.
If there is any cul-de-sac for the operations of the Task Force, is not more than how the media handle the situation and public reaction or inaction, towards achieving set goals and standard. The feeling of ownership by all is one of the search points presently.
In one of his interviews with the media, Rimingado lamented that, “Yes people are fully aware of what is happening around them. People cooperate to give intelligence. When someone calls and gives details of the bad things happening around him on the basis of confidentiality, but when operation is launched the same people will start condemning your actions. This is double standard.”
To the Chairman, according to some instances he cited and lamented, some media people are not helping matters in this fight against drug abuse and related crimes. While some aid the struggle, there are still some that do not see their responsibility as service to humanity. Rimingado blames that small fraction of the media as discouraging the whole effort.
GANDU SAGA
In his recent raid against drug abuse and related crimes, Barrister Rimingado led his team from the Task Force to immediately respond to a distress call from Gandu quarters of Municipal local government, where miscreants were having a field day. As he commended the distress call he also condemned the action of some people in the area.
What happened in Gandu, Rimingado allegedly pointed out, was a clash of rivalry between Vigilante Group of Gandu and Vigilante Group of Tukuntawa. He emphasized that, “It was a clash between Gandu Vigilante people and Tukuntawa Vigilante group. We have a clip of a reconciliation meeting between these two Vigilante groups that took place at Sharada Police Division.”
After the presence of the Task Force, who went there as observers, since the Police from Sharada were already in the scene, according to Rimingado, calming down people and returning peace to the area, there was a reported case of commotion. Of which media people turned blind eye on the major issue involved in the area, he lamented.
To shed more light on how involved were the Vigilante people, he disclosed that, two suspects from the group were apprehended and were taken to court. Which at the end of the investigation, were convicted. As, according to him, were found guilty of the offense.
Part of his lamentation was that, people were not interested in knowing the details of Gandu Saga, they were only interested in knowing what action was taken wrongly by the government.
MEDIA AND TASK FORCE’S RESPONSIBILITY
What made the media derailed in the Chairman’s perspective on Gandu saga and probably other operations, was, the stories some media men carried, saw only one side of the story. Without looking at the other side of the story. Not only that, reviewing Gandu saga specifically, he blamed subjective reporting for some media people.
He raised many issues that some media didn’t investigate well before going to their audiences. When Task Force was blamed for all the difficult conditions obtained in Gandu, by some section of the media, he queried why the report was only against the Task Force engagement. Why shouldn’t there be questions as to what Gandu miscreants did to security agents. This in clear term is not as objective as it should be.
When suspects were arrested their parents go to some media men and started crying that their wards were arrested for no just cause. Without knowing the other side, some media just go to their audience, for those parents to get public sympathy. This, if it happens, by all standard, is not good practice. Fairness is subdued and suffocated.
When Barrister Rimingado challenged that in their operations they carry media men along with them, it appears that they have no skeleton in their cupboard. As a team of security personnel and other professionals, Task Force understands rule of engagement and they always try to abide by the set rules and standard.
As a media person for decades, I can understand that, some journalists practice out of ethical standard. This is not a secret development anymore. Apart from quacks in our mid, some are too hasty to understand ethical practice. Who turn out to become awkward professional. So if Kano Anti-Drug Task Force complains about subjective treatment by some section of the media, the best thing for any listener or good observer to do is to weigh the two positions. And understand who derails.
When Rimingado acknowledged that the fight against drug abuse and other related crimes has the support of communities, he still laments that, there are pockets of individuals who are using some media people to cause confusion in the process and procedures.
To the chagrin of the Task Force, they discover that, some drug abusers and related crimes inherited the menace from their elders. This is a very critical discovery. While it becomes an inherited development, the situation becomes worse when media, some section of the media, support such people.
Another point of great concern raised by Barrister Rimingado is the issue of the protection of the rights of the security agents. Yes I concur with him, that, they, security agents, too, have their rights like any other Nigerian, which must also be protected. While they have to abide by the rule of engagement, they cannot at the same time abandon their self-rights for fear of being condemned by the public or by some section of the media.This is what the position of the Chairman Task Force typifies.
It is very important for all to understand what fight against drug abuse and other related crimes means at the global arena. Elsewhere in say, Latin America, fight against drug peddling faces stiffer sanctions, from intelligence, to trailing, to launching operations, to capture and to fierce engagement with the beneficiaries. If Gandu in Kano were in a Latin American country, the story would have been very different by now. Security operatives don’t joke with similar situations elsewhere.
People should also understand that had Kano been in a Latin American country, where the drug war between government and criminals is fierce, the Task Force would not be the subject of blame. The media would not have reacted the same way toward the Task Force.
Security agencies under the State Multi-Agency Task Force performed excellently well during Takutaha festive period, just a few days ago when not fewer than 50 miscreants were arrested for drug abuse and other related crimes. The leadership of the Task Force and the team members, to my estimation, have the society at heart. Not minding whose ox is gored.
MY TAKE
1. Let the Task Force organize training for journalists to give them enough skill of how to report activities of the Task Force ethically. If journalists can be trained on election reporting why not on the fight against drug abuse?
2. Task Force should engage in aggressive enlightenment campaign for members of the public to be acquainted with the real activities of the Committee. So that grassroot support can be firmer and more grounded,
3. Youth organizations and Task Force should have platforms for exchanging strategies, ideas and style against drug abuse,
4. Task Force should come up with specially designed engagement with the public through townhall meetings and other related fora, like Parents Teachers Associations (PTAs) and
5. Rehabilitation, capacity building on skills acquisition for drug abusers and reintegration are integral parts of the the fight against drug abuse and other related crimes.
What gives me this courage to put pen on paper, or in a more modern way, to press button on computer and produce this piece is first and foremost, the political will of the Governor, His Excellency Abba Kabir Yusuf in his resolve to fight against drug abuse and other related crimes. Secondly is the composition and the leadership of the Task Force saddled with this responsibility, under no-nonsense, patriotically fearless, fearful and genuinely committed Barrister Muhiyi Magaji Rimingado.
The quicker prosecution of the arrested suspects which saw the conviction of over 200 is primarily made possible due to the mobile courts established by the Governor for quicker results and progress.
Abba Anwar writes from Kano