Concerned elders and citizens of Kano State have expressed their dissatisfaction with the continuation of illicit drugs circulation in the state through open drug markets, as they charged drug merchants to seize trading from the open drug markets forthwith.
They lamented how the state has been turned into a major consumption centre and exit point of the illicit drugs trade, through the open drug markets activities, with huge amount of psychotropic substances to the tune of five million tramadol pills and 249,000 exol tablets sized in Kano by NDLEA in 2024 alone.
The Kano State stakeholders disclosed their concerns during a Joint Press Conference held on Saturday 24 February, where they mandated all patent medicines traders at the Muhammad Abubakar Rimi market to comply with the government directives, as affirmed recently by the court, to immediately relocate to the new pharmaceutical market at the Kano Economic City.
They vowed that the menace of illicit drugs will no longer be tolerated in Kano as it is destroying the future of the youths and the society in general.
“We call on all the Pharmaceutical Traders at the Muhammad Abubakar Rimi market to comply with the Government directives, as affirmed recently by the court, to immediately relocate to the new Pharmaceutical market at the Kano Economic City.
“We take this opportunity to call on the government and other law enforcement agencies not to relent in their efforts to ensure that the Pharmaceutical Traders, ASAP, relocate to the new Dangwauro Market as directed”, they charged.
Pharmanewsonline.com had reported how the Kano State Government in collaboration with the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) through Public- Private- Partnership (PPP) established a modern pharmaceutical market termed Coordinated Wholesale Centre (CWC) within the new Kano Economic City to relocate medicines merchants for proper regulation of their products
However, the traders resisted the move and instituted a legal action against the PCN over the movement as a violation of their rights to trade wherever they wish.
Fortunately, the court recently ruled in favour of the PCN and ordered all medicines traders to relocate from the Sabongari market to the CWC.
In pursuant of the court judgment, the stakeholders, comprising Kano Concerned Citizens Initiative (KCCI); Inuwar Kano; Kano Peace And Development Initiative (KAPEDI); Northern Reform Organization (NRO); Kano Youth Promotion Council (KYPC); League For Societal Protection Against Drug Abuse (LESPADA), met to press home their demand for the seizure of illegal drug circulation in the state.
They maintained: “There is no responsible government that will allow illicit drugs to permeate the very fabric of its society and for such drugs to be sold openly and indiscriminately in clear violation of professional ethics, and in total disregard to our societal and moral values.
“We, as elders and patriotic citizens of our beloved state would like to make it clear that this unfortunate development will no longer be tolerated. It should also be clearly understood that we are speaking with one voice over this. We are also determined to follow all legitimate ways and means to put a stop to this unfortunate development.”.
“We wish to reassure all and sundry that Kano, as a cosmopolitan city, will continue to remain hospitable and welcoming to all. However, we will not allow anyone to perpetrate any activity inimical to the wellbeing of our people”.
