The Kano State Government is targeting the removal of 10,000 vulnerable youths from the streets as authorities intensify efforts to tackle child exploitation and substance abuse.
The initiative followed the rescue of 43 children from the Race Course area of Kano, where the Kano State Multi-Agencies Task Force on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking said some of the youngsters were exposed to intoxicating substances.
The development was disclosed in a statement by Lamara Garuba, a member of the Task Force’s Media and Publicity Committee.
According to the Task Force, investigations into the circumstances surrounding the children’s vulnerability led to the arrest and prosecution of two men accused of supplying intoxicants to some of them.
The two men, Kabiru Isa, popularly known as Mada, and Usman Hamisu, also known as Mani, were each sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment without an option of fine.
They were convicted by Magistrate Muhammad Alhaji Sani of Magistrate Court No. 44, Gwammaja, Kano, for criminal conspiracy, membership of an unlawful society and administering intoxicating substances, contrary to Sections 97, 97A and 249 of the Penal Code.
The Task Force said its investigation uncovered an alleged practice in which children engaged in street-based scavenging were supplied with rubber solution and other harmful substances instead of proper payment for their services.
It said the practice further exposed the children to substance abuse and increased their vulnerability.
However, the agency said its strategy would extend beyond prosecution, with the planned intervention for 10,000 vulnerable youths designed to address the conditions pushing young people into street life.
The rescued children and other vulnerable youths are expected to undergo medical and psychosocial assessments.
Those requiring treatment will receive appropriate care, while others will be supported through rehabilitation, skills acquisition and reintegration into their communities.
The Chairman of the Task Force, Muhuyi Magaji, said the objective was to ensure that vulnerable young people were not merely removed from the streets but given an opportunity to rebuild their lives.
He said the Task Force would combine enforcement with prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration.
“Children and young people who have become vulnerable to substance abuse must not simply be viewed through the lens of enforcement,” Magaji said.
He warned, however, that individuals who deliberately exploit vulnerable children for personal gain would be investigated and prosecuted.
The Task Force urged parents, traditional institutions, community leaders and other stakeholders to strengthen measures against child exploitation and substance abuse.
It said the rescue operation and prosecution of the two men represented one part of a wider effort to prevent vulnerable children from becoming trapped in a cycle of street life and substance abuse.
The agency maintained that the long-term objective was to move from simply removing children from dangerous environments to providing the treatment, skills and support needed to help them build productive futures.