Kano Anti-Drug Agency, EFCC Partner to Target Illicit Drug Financiers

​KANO — In a robust push to dismantle the financial networks driving substance abuse, the Kano State Multi-Taskforce on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking has called for an intensified strategic partnership with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

​The appeal was made when the Taskforce Chairman, Muhuyi Magaji Rimingado, paid a courtesy visit to the Acting Director of the EFCC Kano Zonal Directorate, Assistant Commander Friday Ebelo, at the Commission’s office in Kano.

​Rimingado emphasized that the anti-graft agency was the primary institution approached by the committee due to their historical working synergy and the indispensable nature of financial investigations in combating national security threats.

​”I called the EFCC directly because I know the critical role this agency plays. We need your support to synergize and move this nation forward. Our letters will be coming, and we will require your assistance,” Rimingado stated.

​Highlighting the scope of the Taskforce’s mission, Rimingado noted that the administration’s approach extends far beyond punitive measures and arrests. He stressed that the agency is heavily invested in structural rehabilitation, community sensitisation, and redirecting vulnerable youths toward productive societal roles.

​”We are not against them; we want to better their lives for a better tomorrow. One of them could be our future president or innovator,” he added.

​Responding, EFCC Zonal Director Friday Ebelo underscored the intrinsic connection between economic crimes and illicit drug rings, noting that drug trafficking heavily relies on underground financial pipelines.

ADVERTISEMENT

​”Studies have shown that there is a nexus between drug abuse and financial crimes. Drug trafficking is a by-product of illicit financial activities, and we are most committed to working with you to dismantle these networks,” Ebelo affirmed.

​Ebelo challenged the Taskforce to expand its scope beyond street-level enforcement—pointing to the recent interception of 116 cartons of the illicit pharmaceutical substance “pregabalin”—by targeting the elite sponsors funding the trade.

​”Arresting and seizing exhibits will not solve the problem. We must dig deep into their finances and go after their sponsors. That is why the EFCC must be involved,” Ebelo asserted, promising swift action on any intelligence or leads regarding syndicate financiers provided by the state committee.