- Gov Yusuf Signs Executive Order, Warns of Sanctions as Security Agencies Move In
The Kano State Government has formally outlawed a group operating under the name Independent Hisbah Fisabilillahi, declaring its activities illegal and a serious threat to public order and security in the state.
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf signed an executive order proscribing the group on December 8, following intelligence reports indicating that its operations violated existing laws regulating religious enforcement bodies in Kano.
Addressing journalists on Friday, the Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Ibrahim Waiya, said the group had allegedly been recruiting, training and mobilising youths without legal authority, contrary to the Kano State Hisbah Board Law.
According to him, the Kano State Hisbah Board remains the only institution legally empowered to coordinate Hisbah-related activities in the state, warning that the emergence of any parallel structure poses grave security risks.
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“The emergence of a parallel group amounts to creating an unauthorised enforcement structure capable of undermining public peace and the statutory mandate of the Board,” Waiya said.
He explained that the executive order renders all activities of Independent Hisbah Fisabilillahi unlawful, illegal and void, stressing that any form of impersonation—through uniforms, symbols or claims of authority—would attract stiff sanctions.
Waiya disclosed that Governor Yusuf has directed security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and other relevant bodies, to investigate those behind the group and take lawful steps to prevent any breakdown of public order.
Residents were cautioned against participating in, funding or supporting the banned organisation, as affiliation with it constitutes a violation of state law. Individuals already recruited were urged to disengage immediately and report to the nearest security agency, Hisbah office or local government authority.
READ ALSO: Ganduje Moves To Launch New Security Outfit In Kano
The commissioner further revealed that the executive order outlines penalties for offenders, including prosecution for unlawful assembly, impersonation and the establishment of unauthorised security formations. He added that the order takes immediate effect and will be gazetted by the state government printer.
The proscription comes amid heightened political and security tensions in Kano over alleged plans to establish parallel religious policing structures. On November 28, the state government called for the arrest of former governor and ex-APC national chairman, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, over remarks it described as capable of undermining the state’s security architecture.
Following a state executive council meeting, Waiya said cabinet members deliberated on statements attributed to Ganduje and Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who reportedly warned of Kano’s vulnerability to banditry and announced plans to recruit 12,000 individuals under a proposed religious police outfit known as Khairul Nas.
“The council deliberated extensively over the recent inflammatory statements made by a former governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, and the deputy senate president, Barau Jibrin, who alleged that the state is vulnerable to banditry and further announced plans to recruit 12,000 individuals under a proposed religious police outfit named Khairul Nas,” Waiya stated.
Civil society groups also weighed in on the controversy. The International Peace and Secure Society (IPSS) expressed concern over reports of attempts to establish a Hisbah-style body outside state control, describing claims linking Ganduje to such efforts as “troubling and unacceptable”.
READ ALSO: Gov. Yusuf To Probe Ganduje Over Alleged Sale Of Kano Abattoir
Ganduje, however, dismissed the allegations, branding the call for his arrest as “baseless” and “reckless.” He insisted he had never been associated with violence or any action capable of undermining peace in Kano State.
The former governor further accused the Yusuf administration of desperation and incompetence, arguing that the accusations amounted to “an abdication of responsibility by a leader who has failed to secure the lives and property of citizens.”
As security agencies begin enforcement of the executive order, the Kano State Government insists it will not tolerate any unauthorised religious or security structure capable of destabilising the state.