The Borno State Government has arrested 73 underage children involved in substance abuse.
The children were picked up from different locations, including Bulabulin Kasuwa and Gwange Kasan Gada.
The Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, which led the exercise, explained that the action was a bold and decisive step to curb the growing menace of drug abuse and the involvement of children in unlawful activities on the streets of Maiduguri.
The move followed the circulation of a disturbing video on social media showing a young boy, barely in his teens, openly admitting to abusing drugs.
According to a statement from the ministry on Wednesday, many of the children, aged between 12 and 15 years, were not only abusing substances but also exposed to criminal activities.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Zuwaira Gambo, said the children were successfully taken off the streets and transferred to the Bulumkuttu Rehabilitation Centre in Maiduguri.
There, they are expected to undergo comprehensive rehabilitation, counselling, and reintegration programs under the care and supervision of the Borno State Government.
