Drug Abuse, Thuggery Top Agenda as Kwankwaso, Shekarau, Ganduje, Other Kano Leaders Meet

Elders and prominent figures across political, religious, and socio-economic divides in Kano State have resolved to forge a united front in tackling the wave of drug abuse, robbery, and other social vices threatening the stability of the state.

Meeting under the aegis of the Kano State Elders Advisory Council, with coordination from the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Kano Chapter, the leaders lamented what they described as a dangerous collapse of family values, which they blamed for rising crime and moral decay.

A 34-member committee, headed by Prof. Shehu Galadanchi with Dr. Faruk Umar, ACF Kano Chairman, as secretary, was inaugurated to galvanise stakeholders, engage government at all levels, and recommend solutions to pressing challenges.

Members include former governors Rabiu Kwankwaso, Ibrahim Shekarau, Abdullahi Ganduje, Kabiru Gaya, alongside elder statesmen Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, General Halliru Akilu, Alhaji Salihu Tanko Yakasai, Prof. Sani Zahraddeen, and Alhaji Isyaku Tofa.

Speaking at the gathering, Dr. Faruk Umar said the council would serve as a “non-partisan advisory body” to make useful inputs into governance. He stressed that issues like drug abuse, phone snatching, child trafficking, and human rights violations would receive immediate attention.

Former Governor Ibrahim Shekarau warned that the absence of such collective initiatives in the past gave rise to hooliganism and robberies. “This platform must put Kano above politics,” he urged.

On his part, ex-Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, represented by Alhaji Usman Alhaji, pledged support for the council, stressing the importance of elders working together to move Kano forward.

Also lending his voice, NDLEA Chairman, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd), represented by Alhaji Lawan Hamisu, decried the alarming rate of drug abuse in Kano, calling for synergy among stakeholders in the fight against narcotics.

The meeting received endorsements from notable figures, including Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, who described the elders’ resolutions as “timely and essential” for restoring principled leadership. He pledged readiness to collaborate with the council to achieve its objectives.

Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, commended the initiative, assuring that the federal government is making efforts to tackle economic challenges fueling crime and unemployment.

Other speakers, including Prof. Galadanchi, Alhaji A. A. Rano, and Amb. Mukhtar Gashash, emphasised the need for ethical reorientation, family values restoration, and community bonding as the surest way to stem Kano’s social decline.

The council vowed to pursue its mandate with urgency, noting that only unity of purpose and collective action can rid Kano of the scourge of drug abuse, robbery, and insecurity.

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