The Bauchi State Police Command has rescued 17 minors allegedly found abusing rubber solution and arrested two suspected suppliers of the substance in Bauchi metropolis.
The operation followed the intervention of a concerned resident who apprehended eight minors while they were allegedly inhaling rubber solution at Adamu Jumba Street, Bauchi, at about 10 pm on November 5, 2026, before handing them over to the police.
In a follow-up operation later that night, police operatives rescued another nine minors at the Wunti Flyover area, bringing the total number of children rescued to 17.
The Command’s spokesperson, SP Nafiu Habib, said information obtained from the minors led to the arrest of two suspected suppliers during a subsequent operation on November 6.
The suspects were identified as 41-year-old Chimezie Ezikiel Nathan, of Yelwan Makaranta area, and 25-year-old Sani Ali, of Muda Lawan Market, both in Bauchi.
According to the police, 12 packs of rubber solution were recovered from the suspects during a search.
The statement added that the rescued minors had been taken into protective custody, while efforts were ongoing to identify their parents and guardians and reunite them with their families.
The two suspects remain in police custody as investigations continue to uncover other members of the alleged supply network.
The Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, commended the resident who alerted the authorities, describing the exploitation of children through drug supply as wicked, shameful and unacceptable.
“No child should be exposed to drugs. No criminal should profit from destroying the future of our children,” the commissioner said.
He added: “We will continue to pursue, arrest and prosecute all those who supply drugs to minors, and we will ensure that every rescued child is protected and reunited with family.”
The commissioner urged parents, guardians, teachers, religious and community leaders to monitor children closely and report suspicious activities to the police.
He also assured residents that the Command would sustain its operations against drug peddling and child exploitation, particularly in identified hotspots.