By Nicholas Ojo
The Bauchi State Police Command has rescued 17 minors found inhaling rubber solution in different parts of Bauchi metropolis and arrested two suspected suppliers of the substance.
Related: Police foil robbery, arrest man over fatal gunshot in Bauchi
Key Highlights
- Bauchi police rescued 17 minors found inhaling rubber solution in Bauchi metropolis.
- A resident caught eight of the children on Adamu Jumba Street on November 5, 2026; police found nine more near the Wunti Flyover.
- Two suspected suppliers, aged 41 and 25, were arrested on November 6.
- Police recovered 12 packs of rubber solution from the suspects.
- The minors are in protective custody while police trace their parents.
The minors, who were reportedly found abusing the intoxicating substance, were rescued following a public intervention and subsequent police operations targeting those allegedly supplying it to children.
How the minors were rescued
According to a statement issued on Saturday by the command’s spokesperson, SP Nafiu Habib, the incident began on November 5, 2026, when a concerned resident apprehended eight minors allegedly taking rubber solution on Adamu Jumba Street at about 10pm.
The Good Samaritan subsequently handed the children over to the police.
In a follow-up operation later that night, operatives of the Violent Crimes Response Unit arrested another nine minors around the Wunti Flyover area for allegedly engaging in the same activity, bringing the total number of rescued children to 17.
Two suspected suppliers arrested
Police said information obtained from the minors led to the arrest of two suspected suppliers on November 6.
The suspects were identified as 41-year-old Chimezie Ezikiel Nathan, from Yelwan Makaranta area of Bauchi, and 25-year-old Sani Ali, from Muda Lawan Market.
The police said 12 packs of rubber solution were recovered from the suspects during a search.
All 17 minors have been taken into protective custody, while efforts are ongoing to identify their parents and guardians and reunite them with their families.
The two suspects remain in police custody as investigators work to uncover other individuals allegedly involved in the supply network.
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The Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, condemned the alleged exploitation of children through the supply of intoxicating substances, describing the practice as wicked, shameful and unacceptable.
He commended the resident who alerted the police and urged parents, guardians, teachers, religious leaders and community members to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities.
The command also vowed to sustain operations against drug peddlers and individuals exploiting minors across the state. Substance abuse remains a major concern in Nigeria, where the national Drug Use in Nigeria survey estimated that 14.4 per cent of people aged 15 to 64 had used drugs in the past year.
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