Police have arrested two suspected drug suppliers and rescued 17 minors allegedly found abusing rubber solution in the Bauchi metropolis.

In a statement on Saturday, the command’s spokesperson, Nafiu Habib, said the suspects were arrested at about 10:00 p.m. on Thursday.

He said a Good Samaritan apprehended eight minors at Adamu Jumba Street, Bauchi, while they were inhaling rubber solution and handed them over to the police.

“Subsequently, in a follow-up operation on the same night, operatives arrested another nine (9) minors at Wunti Flyover area for the same act, thereby bringing the total number of minors rescued to seventeen (17),” he said.

Mr Habib said information obtained from the rescued minors helped the police trace the supply chain and arrest two suspected suppliers on Friday.

The suspects are Chimezie Ezikiel Nathan, 41, of Yelwan Makaranta Area, and Sani Ali, 25, of Muda Lawan Market, Bauchi.

He said police operatives conducted a search and recovered 12 packs of rubber solution from the suspects.

“In addition to the arrests, all seventeen (17) minors have been taken into protective custody, while efforts are being intensified to locate, identify and reunite them with their parents and guardians,” he noted.