Wanted Kano Suspect Captured In Port Harcourt As Task Force Vows To Target Gang Sponsors
By MAHMOOD MALIK MUSA (M. M. M.) IBRAHIM
THE Kano State Multi-Agency Task Force on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking has arrested a suspected gang leader, Ishaq Lawan Ibrahim, popularly known as “Malam Keya,” in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Task force chairman Muhuyi Magaji announced the arrest on Thursday. He said operatives had returned the 27-year-old suspect to Kano, where he would face prosecution.
According to Magaji, authorities had declared Ibrahim wanted over violent gang clashes that reportedly claimed several lives and caused fear among residents of Dala Local Government Area. Investigators suspect that he played a leading role in organising and financing the violence.
The task force said Ibrahim fled Kano after security agencies intensified operations against gang activity. The crackdown covered several communities, including Jakara, Madigawa, Yalwa, Sanka, Kul Kul, Dogon Nama, Kuka Bulukiya, Dala, Shatsari and Dandalin Turawa.
However, operatives continued pursuing the suspect beyond Kano’s borders. Acting on intelligence, a team led by the task force’s Head of Operations, CSP Bashir Gwadabe, tracked him to Port Harcourt and arrested him.
Magaji described the operation as evidence of the agency’s determination to pursue wanted suspects wherever they seek refuge. He also warned individuals accused of financing violence that they could not rely on distance or concealment to escape investigation.
Meanwhile, the task force pledged to intensify efforts to dismantle criminal gangs, disrupt their alleged drug supply networks and identify their sponsors. It also acknowledged the support of the Kano and Rivers state police commands, alongside other law enforcement agencies.
The Kano State Government established the multi-agency task force to coordinate efforts against drug abuse and illicit trafficking. Its responsibilities include targeting major distribution centres, warehouses and open markets used for illegal drug sales across the state’s 44 local government areas.
Additionally, the agency is empowered under its stated mandate to enforce anti-drug laws and pursue the confiscation or sealing of properties allegedly used to store, package or sell illicit substances.
Ibrahim’s arrest marks another operation in Kano’s campaign against gang violence and illegal drug networks. However, the allegations against him remain subject to proof in court.
