The Kano State Multi-Agency Task Force on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking has arrested a suspected gang leader accused of sponsoring violent clashes in parts of the state.
The suspect, Ishaq Lawan Ibrahim, 27, popularly known as “Malam Keya”, is from Yelwa in Dala Local Government Area of Kano State.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the task force said Ibrahim fled Kano after security operations were intensified in communities affected by gang violence.
Acting on intelligence, operatives tracked him to Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where he was arrested in an operation led by the task force’s Head of Operations, CSP Bashir Gwadabe.
He has since been returned to Kano for further investigation.
The task force alleged that Ibrahim played a leading role in gang clashes that claimed lives and left residents of Dala and other communities in fear.
According to the statement, he was suspected of coordinating and financing hoodlums responsible for the attacks.
The security operations targeted areas including Jakara, Madigawa, Yalwa, Sanka, Kul Kul, Dogon Nama, Kuka Bulukiya, Dala, Shatsari and Dandalin Turawa.
Confirming the arrest, the task force chairman, Muhuyi Magaji Rimin Gado, warned individuals suspected of financing violence that they would be pursued regardless of their location.
“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 task force said Ibrahim remained in custody and would be prosecuted after investigations were concluded, in accordance with the law.
It added that operations would continue to dismantle criminal gangs, their sponsors and drug supply networks across Kano State.
The agency urged residents, community and religious leaders, parents and young people to report suspicious activities to security agencies and avoid being recruited into criminal groups.
It also commended the Kano and Rivers state police commands and other law enforcement agencies for supporting the operation.
