JUST IN: Kano anti-drug task force arrests fleeing suspect in Rivers State

Ishaq Lawan Ibrahim, popularly known as "Malam Keya"

The Kano State Multi-Agency Task Force on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking has arrested an alleged notorious gang leader, known as “Malam Keya,” in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

​Announcing the arrest on Thursday, the Chairman of the Task Force, Muhuyi Magaji, said the suspect has been transferred to Kano to face prosecution.

​According to Mr Magaji, the suspect fled the state after being declared wanted over violent gang clashes that claimed several lives.

“The Kano State Multi-Agency Task Force on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking has arrested Ishaq Lawan Ibrahim, popularly known as “Malam Keya”, a 27-year-old man from Yelwa in Dala Local Government Area, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. He is suspected of playing a leading role in the violent gang clashes that have disturbed the peace of parts of Kano State.

“Malam Keya is alleged to be a gang leader who orchestrated and sponsored the violence, fuelling and funding the hoodlums behind attacks that claimed lives and left residents of Dala Local Government living in fear.

“The suspect reportedly fled Kano after the Task Force intensified security operations in communities affected by gang violence, including Jakara, Madigawa, Yalwa, Sanka, Kul Kul, Dogon Nama, Kuka Bulukiya, Dala, Shatsari and Dandalin Turawa. Acting on credible intelligence, operatives tracked him to Port Harcourt, where he was apprehended in an operation led by the Task Force’s Head of Operations, CSP Bashir Gwadabe. He has since been brought back to Kano”, Mr Magaji said.

“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 arrest, made outside Kano State, shows the Task Force’s determination to pursue wanted suspects beyond the state’s boundaries.

“The Task Force assures the people of Kano State that it will not relent in dismantling criminal gangs, their sponsors and their drug supply networks.

“The Task Force appreciates the support of the Kano State Police Command, the Rivers State Police Command and all other law enforcement agencies for their commitment to the success of the operation.”

The Kano State Government established the Multi-Agency Task Force on Drug Abuse and Illicit Substances as an inter-agency coalition comprising security outfits, regulatory bodies, and civil society groups.

The task force is mandated to interdict, raid, and dismantle major distribution hubs, warehouses, and open markets used for illegal drug sales across the 44 local government areas of Kano State.

It is also mandated to implement strict anti-drug laws, including the immediate confiscation and sealing of properties or structures utilised for storing, packaging, or selling illicit substances.