The Chairman of the Kano State Multi-Agency Taskforce on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Muhuyi Magaji Rimingado, has accused the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN) of allegedly shielding drug dealers and facilitating the distribution of illicit substances in Kano State.

Rimingado made the allegations while addressing journalists in Kano, where he expressed concern over what he described as the involvement of some public officials in activities that undermine the state’s efforts to combat drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking.

The task force chairman said the fight against drug abuse in Kano had reached a critical stage requiring decisive measures against individuals and institutions allegedly using their public positions to create an enabling environment for illegal drug trafficking.

According to him, the task force would no longer concentrate exclusively on arresting drug users while individuals and organisations allegedly responsible for supplying the substances continued to enjoy protection from regulatory authorities.

Rimingado said pregabalin and other controlled substances remained among the most widely abused drugs in Kano State, adding that the situation required regulatory agencies to discharge their responsibilities with patriotism, professionalism and fear of Allah.

He argued that if regulatory institutions performed their statutory duties effectively, there would be little need for the state government to establish additional mechanisms to confront the growing problem of drug abuse.

The chairman disclosed that the task force had recorded 1,760 arrests since the commencement of its operations, with 890 suspects convicted for various drug-related offences.

He further stated that 63 suspects were awaiting trial, while approximately 690 convicted persons were being held in various correctional facilities.

Rimingado explained that other offenders had either been referred for rehabilitation, fined or sentenced to community service, describing the figures as evidence of the task force’s extensive efforts towards reducing drug demand, disrupting supply networks and confronting thuggery.

He maintained that the task force’s strategy recognised the direct relationship between drug abuse and the activities of street gangs and thugs, stressing that tackling the supply chain was essential to achieving sustainable results.

However, Rimingado said the task force could not continue arresting drug users without confronting those allegedly responsible for making the substances available to them.

He specifically accused some regulatory officials of shielding drug dealers despite having statutory responsibilities to prevent unauthorised access to controlled pharmaceutical products.

The task force chairman recalled the recent seizure of 3.18 million pregabalin capsules by the agency, describing the development as an indication of the scale of the drug distribution problem confronting Kano State.

According to Rimingado, eight out of every 10 suspected drug users arrested in Kano were either found in possession of pregabalin or confessed to abusing the substance.

He questioned the circumstances surrounding the issuance of import licences to pharmaceutical companies dealing in pregabalin, particularly following its rescheduling as a controlled drug by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on September 14, 2026.

Rimingado wondered what regulatory data informed the issuance of import licences to several companies, alleging that some businesses had exploited the privileges granted to them to facilitate the distribution of controlled substances.

In what he described as findings from preliminary investigations, Rimingado alleged that an import licence granted to UGO Lab Production Nigeria Limited on October 23, 2026, was part of a wider network of companies allegedly involved in the unlawful distribution of pregabalin.

He claimed that investigations revealed that the owner of UGO Lab Production Nigeria Limited had also established another company known as SEEMARK Pharmaceutical Nigeria Limited, which he alleged was created as a front for clandestine drug distribution activities.

The task force chairman further accused the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria of facilitating the alleged activities by registering a property at No. 10 Apple Avenue, which he described as a purely residential location, for pharmaceutical operations.

According to Rimingado, the property was allegedly used as a concealed distribution outlet for pregabalin, thereby providing a channel through which the substance found its way into the streets of Kano.

He argued that registering a residential property for such activities amounted to a breach of the provisions of the Land Use Act and raised serious questions about the regulatory procedures followed by the PCN.

Rimingado said the alleged actions of the council had undermined the objectives of the Controlled Wholesale Chain (CWC), which he said the regulatory institution itself advocated.

He challenged the regulatory authorities to explain how pregabalin had become widely available on the streets of Kano despite its controlled status, insisting that the substance was rarely found in conventional pharmaceutical outlets across the state.

The chairman maintained that the widespread availability of pregabalin outside recognised pharmaceutical channels could not be dismissed as accidental, arguing that it pointed to possible weaknesses or deliberate compromises within the regulatory system.

Rimingado also alleged that some staff members of the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria were deeply involved in clandestine pharmaceutical businesses, claiming that such involvement explained what he described as the council’s excessive protection of its regulatory jurisdiction.

He expressed concern over what he considered the council’s insistence on exclusive authority to seal premises, even in situations where other government agencies had uncovered alleged wrongdoing.

The task force chairman noted that the PCN had fewer than 20 staff members in Kano State but continued to insist that it alone possessed the authority to seal premises suspected of violating pharmaceutical regulations.

He argued that such an approach was counterproductive, particularly when the state government’s multi-agency task force was working to address a public health and security challenge affecting thousands of residents.

Rimingado stressed that the statutory responsibilities of federal regulatory agencies should not be interpreted as immunity from legitimate oversight, collaboration or accountability by other relevant government institutions.

He maintained that public officials were expected to operate within the limits of the law and should not use their positions to obstruct efforts aimed at protecting the public from the dangers of illicit drug trafficking.

The chairman warned that any public official who acted contrary to the provisions of the law could face criminal liability, adding that the task force was prepared to deploy all necessary legal measures to address the alleged misconduct.

He reaffirmed the task force’s commitment to pursuing drug dealers, disrupting distribution networks and ensuring that individuals and institutions allegedly contributing to the drug abuse crisis were held accountable.

Rimingado said the fight against drug abuse in Kano required collective responsibility, insisting that regulatory agencies must demonstrate transparency, integrity and commitment if the state was to make meaningful progress in tackling the menace.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The Independent National Electoral Commission has fixed November 28, 2026, for a nationwide mock accreditation and voting exercise ahead of the 2027 general elections to test upgrades to its Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and electronic results transmission.

This comes as the commission said it has commenced the distribution of non-sensitive materials to some states ahead of the 2027 general elections.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), announced the mock election on Thursday during a dialogue at Chatham House in London, organised in partnership with the Kimpact Development Initiative, with the theme, “Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: Democratic Trajectory and Regional Stability Beyond the Ballot.”

According to a press statement issued in Abuja and signed by the Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, Amupitan said the exercise would simulate the presidential election and enable the commission to assess the effectiveness of its accreditation and electronic transmission systems before the polls.

“On the 28th of this month, we will conduct a mock accreditation and voting exercise across all states of the federation to simulate the presidential election and verify that we have gotten both accreditation and electronic result transmission right,” he said.

The INEC chairman also disclosed that the commission had introduced technical safeguards to prevent inaccurate polling unit results and figures reflecting over-voting from being uploaded to its Result Viewing Portal.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The Federal Character Commission has filed a four-count criminal charge against the Nigeria Customs Service and its Comptroller-General, Bashir Adeniyi, over alleged violations of federal character requirements in the Service’s 2025/2026 recruitment exercise.

The charge sheet, which was sighted by newsmen on Friday, was filed on Thursday at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The charge accused the Customs Service and Adeniyi of failing to provide recruitment records to the commission, preventing it from monitoring the exercise and disregarding its directive to suspend recruitment and training activities.

In the first count, the commission alleged that the Customs Service failed to submit the nominal rolls for its 2025 recruitment exercise despite receiving a request for the records in a letter dated March 25, 2026.

It also accused Adeniyi of recklessly, negligently or wilfully allowing the Service to disregard the commission’s request.

“That you Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, being an officer of the 1st Defendant, recklessly, negligently or willfully acquiesced in the 1st Defendant’s failure to comply with the directives of the Commission, thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 14(3) (b) of the Federal Character Commission (Establishment, etc.) Act, Cap. F7, LFN 2004 and punishable under Section 15 of the Federal Character Commission (Establishment, etc.) Act, Cap. F7, LFN 2004,” the first count read.

In the second count, the FCC alleged that the Customs Service and its Comptroller-General failed to invite or submit themselves to the commission for monitoring of relevant stages of the 2025/2026 recruitment exercise between September 14 and October 7, 2026.

The third count accused the defendants of continuing with recruitment and training activities despite receiving a letter dated October 23, 2026, directing the Service to suspend the exercise pending a review.

The commission alleged that the Service disregarded the directive and failed to preserve relevant records and allow its monitoring.

In the fourth count, the FCC accused the defendants of failing to provide clear eligibility criteria and comprehensive recruitment guidelines despite repeated requests between January 30 and October 20, 2026.

It alleged that the failure prevented the Commission from determining the state and zonal distribution of vacancies in the recruitment exercise.

The charges were brought under Section 14(3) of the Federal Character Commission (Establishment, etc.) Act, Cap. F7, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, and are punishable under Section 15 of the Act.

The commission listed three witnesses, including the Chairman of its Committee on Financial Services, Abdulwasiu K. Bawa-Allah, committee member Isa Jibrin Bida, and clerk of the committee, Usman Yaruwa.

It also listed 14 documents it intends to tender during the trial, including correspondence between the commission and the Customs Service, a report on the Service and records of the commission’s October 22 press conference.

The prosecution said it might call additional witnesses as the court considers necessary.

The charge followed a dispute between the commission and the Customs Service over the conduct of the 2024/2025 recruitment exercise, particularly complaints by applicants who said they were shortlisted but later excluded from the training programme.