KANO TASKFORCE SHUTS PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY OVER ALLEGED ILLEGAL DISTRIBUTION OF PREGABALIN
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By: Muftau Fatimo
The Kano State Multi-Agency Taskforce on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking has shut down a pharmaceutical company following the discovery of millions of Pregabalin tablets allegedly being distributed illegally.
The chairman of the task force, Muhuyi Magaji, disclosed this on Saturday while briefing journalists during an inspection of the facility located in a residential area of Sabon Gari, Kano State.
According to Magaji, operatives recovered 3,180,000 tablets of Pregabalin, valued at over ₦900 million, from the premises.
He further disclosed that the task force had arrested 1,760 suspects and secured 890 convictions as part of its ongoing crackdown on drug abuse, illegal trafficking and related offences.
However, Magaji expressed concern that despite the agency’s efforts to curb drug abuse through arrests and prosecutions, some pharmaceutical companies allegedly licensed by regulatory authorities were contributing to the continued circulation of controlled drugs.
He accused some officials of the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in Kano of allegedly facilitating the illegal distribution of Pregabalin and other controlled medicines.
He claimed that licences issued by the regulatory agencies had made it easier for the drugs to reach the streets, despite their limited availability in legitimate pharmacies.
The task force chairman identified Pregabalin as the most commonly abused substance in Kano, noting that eight out of every 10 suspected drug users arrested by the agency were either found with the drug or admitted to using it.
He also questioned the issuance of import licences for Pregabalin following its classification as a controlled drug by NAFDAC on September 14, 2026.
Magaji specifically raised concerns over an import licence allegedly issued to a pharmaceutical company in Kano on October 23, 2026, insisting that the approval required thorough investigation in view of the widespread abuse of the substance in the state.
He further alleged that preliminary investigations indicated that the company’s owner had established another firm purportedly being used as a cover for the illegal distribution of controlled drugs through clandestine networks.
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The task force chairman also questioned how the facility obtained regulatory approval, considering the applicable land-use requirements.
Additionally, he alleged that some PCN officials had links with illegal drug distribution networks and were frustrating efforts to address the menace because of their personal interests.
Expressing dissatisfaction with what he described as efforts to shield drug dealers while targeting drug users, Magaji said the agency could not continue prosecuting consumers while those allegedly responsible for supplying the substances were protected.
“I cannot in good conscience continue to go after the victims, that is, users, while the perpetrators (dealers) are given a shield by those who have a statutory responsibility to protect them from accessing these drugs they tend to abuse,” he said.
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