As 2024 draws to a close, the memories of a cocktail of major incidents recorded in Kano State cannot be easily forgotten. While the state was engulfed in what seemed like an unending tussle over the exalted throne of the Emir of Kano, the #Endhunger or #Endbadgovernance protest turned violent and led to avoidable losses of lives and properties. At the tail end of the year, the ruling party in the state sprang a surprise by suspending the “powerful” Secretary to the State Government, Abdullahi Baffa Bichi and Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf later sacked him.
In this report, our correspondent chronicles seven major incidents that dominated headlines and set tongues wagging in Kano State.
Resignation of Sheikh Daurawa as Hisbah commander
On March 1, many residents of Kano woke up to the shocking resignation of the Commander-General of the state’s Hisbah Board, Sheikh Aminu Daurawa. Sheikh Daurawa had made his resignation in a video clip shared on his Facebook page while attending a retreat in Kaduna State.
The resignation had come barely 24 hours after the state governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf criticised Hisbah’s mode of operation by specifically mentioning the way and manner they carried out raids against some hotels and off-campus female hostels in late 2023.
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Curiously, the governor’s comment had come amidst raging controversy over a ‘notorious’ female TikTok celebrity, Murja Kunya, an ardent supporter of the governor who was arrested by Hisbah, arraigned in court and later released in unclear circumstances.
While making his verbal resignation public, Sheikh Daurawa said he was trying to instill moral discipline and behavioural change in the state. He then asked the governor for forgiveness and prayed for the success of his administration.
However, with the intervention of elders and religious leaders, Governor Yusuf and Sheikh Daurawa reconciled within three days, and the Hisbah boss returned to office.
Two kings in Kano?
When the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) clinched the governorship seat of Kano State, many had expected the return of the 14th emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, who was dethroned by the immediate past administration of Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The ground work began with the quick passage of the Kano Emirates Council (repeal) bill 2024 which scrapped the five emirate system of Rano, Karaye, Gaya, Bichi and Kano created by Ganduje and revived the single emirate system that made the throne of Kano one of the most powerful in northern Nigeria.
With the immediate signing of the bill into law, Governor Yusuf reinstated Muhammadu Sanusi as the 16th emir of Kano, while the deposed emir, Aminu Ado Bayero, went to court to seek legal redress.
But the 15th emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, has continued to hold royal court at the Nasarawa mini palace while the state and federal high courts continue to give conflicting orders recognizing the two emirs.
While the matter is currently pending before the court of appeal, two emirs continue to enjoy protection from the state and federal governments, causing security tensions in the state.
Worshippers set ablaze
On May 15, residents of Kano woke up to a tragic incident. A 38-year-old resident of Albasawa village, Gezawa Local Government Area of the state, Shafiu Abubakar, had set ablaze a mosque with morning worshippers in it.
The incident left about 23 worshippers burnt to death while the suspect was arraigned before the Upper Sharia Court on charges bordering on culpable homicide, attempted murder, causing grievous hurt, and mischief by fire.
The prosecution counsel and the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) at the Kano State Ministry of Justice, Salisu Tahir, told the court that the offences contravened sections 220, 140, 148, 167, and 370 of the Penal Code Law 2000 of Kano State.
The defendant pleaded guilty to all charges and the prosecution closed its case on November 12. If found guilty, the defendant faces death by hanging or firing squad as provided by Section 220 of the Penal Code.
#Endhunger protest, arraignment of minors
At least three persons were reported killed in Kano during the #Endhunger or #Endbadgovernance protests on August 1. While security operatives tried to disperse protesters by the gate leading to the government house.
Many shops were looted and the Nigerian Communications Commission’s digital and innovations park and the Kano Printing Press were not spared.
In a state broadcast, Governor Abba Yusuf imposed a 24-hour curfew, while the police said they arrested 269 suspects for exploiting the nationwide protest to loot shops and vandalise public property.
As the protesters defied government pleadings, some were seen carrying Russian flags, which led to more arrests in which the suspects were moved to Abuja.
Three months later, in what many later described as shocking, the federal government paraded the suspects who appeared to be minors on treason charges. Several outcries and condemnations later forced the government to release the minors and discontinue the case.
Multi-million naira drug supply contract controversy
On August 22, revelation of a multi-million naira drug contract involving Kano State Local Government Councils generated controversy. Musa Garba, the owner of Novomed Pharmaceuticals, a nephew to the national leader of the NNPP, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, was alleged to have secured the contract to supply drugs worth N440m.
The Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission, which launched an investigation into allegations of drug contracts at the 44 LGAs of the state, also discovered another anomaly in the contract of water borehole repairs valued at about N660m.
The investigation led to the interrogation of several officials, including the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mohammed Kabara; the Chairman of the state branch of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria, Abdullahi Ibrahim Bashir; and other officials of the Ministry of Local Government, who were initially detained.
The owner of Novomed Pharmaceuticals, Musa Garba, later appeared before investigators in company of his lawyer, Okechukwu Nwaeze. However, since then, not much has been heard from the commission.
Doctor allegedly assaulted by commissioner
Kano was in the news again in early November when the state chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) demanded the immediate sack of the commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Amina Abdullahi, for allegedly assaulting a female doctor at the Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital.
The NMA later withdrew services from the hospital after the expiration of an ultimatum to the state government to sack the commissioner. The matter was later resolved when the governor appointed a Technical Adviser, Dr Aminu Magashi, for the ministry and the doctors returned to their duty posts.
‘Powerful’ SSG Bichi, commissioner suspended
The ruling NNPP in Kano State on October 14 suspended the Secretary to the State Government, Abdullahi Baffa Bichi and the state Commissioner for Transport, Muhammed Diggol, for “disloyalty and abuse of office.”
The suspension of Bichi and Diggol had come in the heat of a controversy that a former governor of the state, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, was running the state by proxy.
Bichi was perceived to be the sponsor of a splinter group ‘Abba Tsaya da Kafarka’ calling on the state governor to assert his independence from Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, his benefactor.
However, in December, Governor Yusuf sacked the SSG on health grounds, alongside the Chief of Staff to the Governor and five other commissioners. This is even as many believed that the SSG was relieved of his duties due to his alleged connection with the Abba ‘Tsaya da Kafarka’ Movement.
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