The Kano State government has lamented the high rate at which residents abuse drugs in the state, News About Nigeria reports.
The State Commissioner for Finance, Dr Ibrahim Jibril, disclosed this while receiving the state Commandant of the NDLEA, Mr Abubakar Ahmad on Monday.
He noted that the issue of drug abuse among the people especially youths in the state is becoming increasingly alarming.
If this continues, Ahmad said it would not only affect the users, but the society and state at large.
He, therefore, appealed to the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to help the state in tackling drug menace.
He urged the agency to establish its unit within the Audu Bako Secretariat complex, Kano, to help in curbing drug peddling and abuse in the State.
The commissioner also highlighted the state government’s strategies to tackle drug-related problems, which he noted includes reactivating 21 skill institutes to engage youths productively.
According to him, this will keep them busy, productive, and give them less time and urge to indulge in drug related crimes and vices.
Speaking also, the state Commandant of the NDLEA, Mr Abubakar Ahmad, lauded the state governor’s commitment to combating drug abuse as evident in his visit to the Kiru reformatory.
He also expressed gratitude for the state government’s support in completing and equipping the abandoned Drug Rehabilitation Centre at the NDLEA Command headquarters, promising that the agency will work together with the state government in combating drug abuse and its consequences in Kano State.