Kano Lawyers Group Petitions Tinubu Over Parallel Hisbah Recruitment By Ganduje

The National Forum of Kano Indigene Lawyers has petitioned President Bola Tinubu and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, over the recruitment of what it described as a ‘parallel Hisbah police’ in Kano State, warning that the move could threaten peace and security in the state.

In the petition signed by the group’s National President, Malam Usman Imam Tudun Wazirichi, and the National Secretary, Rita Benedict, Esq., the lawyers alleged that the recruitment was part of a political attempt to destabilise Kano.

Ganduje Foundation Rolls Out Application Forms For Private Hisbah Group In Kano

They claimed that the initiative linked to former Kano State governor and ex-APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, could undermine the fragile coexistence between Muslims and Christians in the state.

According to the lawyers, recent security disturbances in parts of Kano pointed to “deliberate attempts to manufacture insecurity for political gain.”

“The situation demands a firm and transparent security response, not the creation of private or quasi-religious security bodies that could give cover to criminal or extremist elements,” the petition stated.

The forum warned that the emergence of a privately coordinated Hisbah-style outfit could also weaken the authority of the elected government in the state.

They further cautioned that if urgent action is not taken, the development could push Kano towards the kind of insecurity being experienced in states like Borno and Zamfara.

“The life of a single Nigerian, before God and under the Constitution, is more important than any political ambition,” the petition read.

The lawyers added that failure to address the issue may force them to alert international bodies, including the United Nations and the Commonwealth, over what they described as a looming security threat in Nigeria’s most populous state.

LEADERSHIP reports that their reaction followed the issuance of recruitment forms over the weekend for a 12,000-member independent security group in Kano.

The exercise was reportedly carried out by Baffa Dan Agundi, former Managing Director of the Kano Road Traffic Agency (KAROTA), and former Hisbah Commander, Sheikh Harun Ibn Sina, on behalf of Ganduje Foundation.

Dan Agundi said the initiative was meant to provide job opportunities for about 12,000 youths who were allegedly laid off following changes made to the state-owned Hisbah Board by the present Kano State administration.

He explained that the new body, to be known as the Independent Hisbah Fisabilillah, would operate under the Ganduje Foundation as a voluntary, non-political group dedicated to religious services.

However, the lawyers rejected this explanation, citing Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which states that the security and welfare of the people is the primary responsibility of the government.

They stressed that security cannot be handled as a private project, foundation initiative, or political legacy scheme.