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Task force accuses PCN officials of aiding illegal drug trafficking in Kano
The Chairman of the Kano State Multi-Agency Task Force on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Muhuyi Magaji Rimingado, has accused some officials of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) of aiding the illegal distribution of controlled drugs, particularly pregabalin, in Kano State.
Rimingado made the allegations while addressing journalists on Saturday, saying preliminary investigations by the task force uncovered what he described as a network of individuals exploiting regulatory processes to facilitate the circulation of illicit drugs.
He alleged that a pharmaceutical company, UGO Lab Production Nigeria Limited, was granted an import licence for pregabalin after the drug had been designated a controlled substance, and that the company’s owner subsequently established another firm, Seemark Pharmaceutical Nigeria Ltd, which investigators suspect was used as a channel for unlawful distribution.
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The task force chairman further alleged that the PCN registered a residential property located at No. 10 Apple Avenue Nomansland Kano as a pharmaceutical outlet, contrary to regulatory and land-use provisions, enabling the distribution of controlled substances into residential communities.
“The government agency mandated to protect lives and property cannot be seen as a culprit in endangering lives through fraudulent licensing of operators in residential areas,” he said.
Rimingado said the fight against drug abuse in Kano had reached a critical stage, requiring action not only against users but also against those allegedly facilitating the supply chain.
According to him, the task force has so far arrested 1,760 suspects and secured 890 convictions in drug-related cases.
He added that 63 cases are currently before the courts, while about 690 convicted offenders are serving various terms in correctional facilities.
Others, he said, were either ordered to undergo rehabilitation, pay fines or perform community service.
He disclosed that the task force recently seized 3.18 million pregabalin capsules, describing the drug as one of the most abused substances in Kano State.
Rimingado claimed that eight out of every ten suspected drug users arrested by the task force were either found in possession of pregabalin or admitted abusing the substance.
He also accused some PCN staff of resisting collaboration with other enforcement agencies and attempting to maintain exclusive control over regulatory enforcement activities.
“It constitutes a criminal liability for any public official to act contrary to the law, and this task force will deploy all necessary legal means to address the problem,” he said.
The task force chairman vowed to pursue legal action against any public official or institution found to have facilitated the illegal distribution of controlled drugs.
When contacted, the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, did not comment on the allegations.
Hasiya Abubakar Ladan, a top official of the council in Kano, who was contacted to speak on the issue, promised to get back to our reporter.
However, she had not responded as of the time of filing this story.