S’Court Verdict: Uneasy Calm In Kano As Police Reassure Public Of Safety

There is an uneasy calm in Kano metropolis of Kano State with residents going about their daily businesses even as the atmosphere in the city remained suspenseful in anticipation of the decision of the Supreme Court on the State’s governorship tussle between the Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Supreme Court has fixed Friday, January 12, 2024 to deliver judgement on the appeal filed by Governor Yusuf against the earlier verdict of the Appeal Court, which affirmed the judgement of the State Governorship Election Tribunal, which declared Gawuna of the APC as the duly elected governor of the state.

Government activities were still on as the Minister for Trade, Industry and Investments, Doris Nkiruka Uzoka-Anite, was received at the Government House in Kano on Thursday.

Although the governor was represented by his Chief-of-Staff, Wada Sagagi, at the interactive session with stakeholders, the Minister later met with the deputy governor, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo.

Several residents, who spoke with LEADERSHIP, stated that they would remain indoors and would not allow their children go to school on Friday to avoid whatever would follow the decision of the Supreme Court.

Others said that they were afraid that either way the matter is decided by the Supreme Court, there was still the likelihood that the peace of the state would be affected.

However, the Kano State Police Command has assured the general public of safety before, during and after the Supreme Court judgement.

This was disclosed by the Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Usain Gumel, during an interactive session with journalists in the state on Thursday evening.

“We have mobilized sufficient armed personnel to provide security at all flashpoints including political party’s offices, the State Government House, INEC headquarters, Banks/Commercial Areas, mosques, churches, recreation centres and motor parks before, during and after the judgement.

“I am giving 100 per cent assurance to all law-abiding residents of the state to go about their daily activities freely without threat to lives and property,” the Police Commissioner said.

He further explained that operational orders with specific roles to all the security personnel had been issued to Area Commanders, Tactical Commanders and the divisional police officers (DPOs) across 44 local government areas of the state.

He called on residents to keep cooperating with security personnel and to share actionable intelligence on any person or group of persons planning to disrupt peace or embark on violent protests before and after the Supreme Court judgement slated for Friday.