By Uzair Adam
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.
The 27-year-old suspect was allegedly responsible for orchestrating violent clashes among rival gangs in several communities in Dala Local Government Area of Kano State.
The Daily Reality gathered that Ibrahim, a native of the Yelwa area of Dala, fled Kano for Port Harcourt after the task force intensified its crackdown on street gangs following repeated incidents of violence in the area.
He was allegedly involved in gang-related activities in Jakara, Madigawa, Yalwa, Sanka, Kul Kul, Dogon Nama, Kuka Bulukiya, Dala, Shatsari and Dandalin Turawa, among other communities across Kano metropolis.
In a statement, the task force said it tracked and arrested the suspect in Port Harcourt following credible intelligence.
The operation was coordinated by the task force’s Head of Operations, CSP Bashir Gwadabe, who led the team responsible for the arrest and subsequent transfer of the suspect to Kano.
Confirming the development, the task force chairman, Muhuyi Magaji Rimin-Gado, said Ibrahim remained in custody and would undergo further investigation before being charged to court.
Rimin-Gado described the arrest as a demonstration of the agency’s determination to track down wanted suspects regardless of where they might be hiding.
He warned individuals allegedly sponsoring violence and criminal activities in Kano against believing they could escape arrest by relocating outside the state.
“Let me assure you that those who bankroll violence should know that no distance and no hiding place will protect them. This arrest is only the beginning. We will not rest until peace is fully restored,” he said.
The chairman further assured residents that the task force would sustain its operations within the confines of the law, ensuring that all suspects were subjected to due process.
He said the agency was committed to dismantling criminal gangs, identifying their sponsors and disrupting drug supply networks allegedly fuelling violence across the state.
Rimin-Gado also called on residents, community and religious leaders, parents and young people to support the campaign against thuggery and drug abuse by reporting suspicious activities to security agencies.
He urged parents to closely monitor their children and remain vigilant about activities within their neighbourhoods.
“You should also refuse to be used by anyone to disturb the peace of our dear state. Safety of Kano is a shared responsibility, and together we will reclaim our streets and secure the future of our state,” he said.
The task force acknowledged support from the Kano and Rivers State police commands, along with other law enforcement agencies, in facilitating the operation.