Why famous Kano singer is wanted by police

Ever since the Kano State High Court presided by Justice Aisha Mahmud granted an order directing the Kano Police Command to arrest and continue its investigation on the activities of a popular Hausa musician Ado Isa Gwanja, the musician has gone underground and stayed away from public appearances, Daily Trust Saturday gathered.

Ado Isa popularly known as Gwanja is a renowned musician whose songs always sparks reactions as he is popular for songs praising the women folk.

A close associate of Gwanja, who craved anonymity, told Daily Trust Saturday that Gwanja has not been arrested after the court judgement.

On the allegation over the theme of his songs, he said that Gwanja is not vulgar as he is careful with his choice of words. 

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“When you come close to Gwanja, you will know that he is a gentleman and totally different from what people think he is. He only does his songs to earn a living like any other person,” the source revealed. 

Our source added that the issue at hand will not affect Gwanja’s performance at all. 

“As a big musician, he has been booked for so many events across the country and I am sure the court issue will not affect his scheduled performance in anyway. As I am talking to you, he just came back from Maiduguri on Tuesday and he’s preparing to leave for another state over the weekend,” said the source. 

He faulted those behind Gwanja’s saga, identifying them as his enemies. 

“There are a lot of musicians in Kano who sing “romantic” songs worse than that of Gwanja but they were ignored and remain untouchable,” he said. 

Daily Trust Saturday gathered that in 2022, some private legal practitioners in the state, including Barristers Muhd Ali Hamza, Abba Muhd, Sunusi Umar, A. T Bebeji, I. Usman, Muhd Nasir, L. T. Dayi, G. A. Badawi under the leadership of Barrister Badamasi Suleiman Gandu filed a direct complaint before an Upper Sharia Court Bichi against Mr 442, Safarau, Dan Maraya, Amude Booth, Kawu Dan Sarki and Ado Isa Gwanja. 

They charged the above artistes for criminal conspiracy, disturbance of public peace and insulting religious creed for singing series of songs without censorship, which goes contrary to the Kano State Censorship Board Law of 2001, and equally contravenes the Kano State Hisbah Board’s Law of 2003, the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), as well as the Penal Code law.

The team also informed the court that the said songs were amplified via miming and dancing by some social media artistes such as Murja Ibrahim Kunya, Ummi Shakira, Samha M. Inuwa and Babiyuana.

According to the plaintiffs, the suspects conspired among themselves and sang the popular song Tabara, Tsoro suke, Tube wandonka, Chass and Asosa. These according to the team of legal practitioners is directly promoting various social vices such as fornication and adultery. 

It would be recalled that the court later directed the Commissioner of Police to investigate the suspects, which made the police to launch an investigation into the matter and subsequently prosecuted the suspects before a court of law.

The court presided by Dr Bello Musa Khalid gave the judgment that Murja Kunya should sweep the premises of Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital for a period of three months and her accomplices to sweep Murtala Jumuat Mosque as well. 

Prior to the police investigation, Ado Gwanja had sought a restraining order from the Kano State High Court against the Kano police commissioner and other respondents to prevent his arrest until the motion on notice is heard. 

The court subsequently granted an interim order stopping the police from effecting his arrest pending hearing in his fundamental rights enforcement application.

When contacted, the lead prosecution counsel Barrister Badamasi Gandu shed more light on the issue, saying that when he discovered Gwanja’s songs ‘Asosa and Chass’ which had not been released then, he quickly wrote a complaint to the Hisbah Board.

“When I discovered these songs made by Ado Gwanja, I lodged a complain with the Hisbah Board, and copied same to His Excellency the Executive Governor of Kano State, Council of Ulama, Kano State Censorship Board, Kano State Shariah Commission and called for the state government to take immediate action in stopping Gwanja from releasing the songs. Gwanja was invited by the Kano State Censorship Board. He refused to honour the invitation and ran out of Kano State, and in disrespect to law and order, released the song uncensored, which propagated sexual romantics,” he said. 

He added that after the song was released some other artistes, including Murja Kunya, 442, Safarau and others amplified and danced to the song. 

“These people were seen romantically dancing to the songs on social media. The songs can be found in their Tiktok accounts. Ummi Shakira was seen on social media singing a song titled ‘Tube Wandonka’. These songs are allegedly not censored, unislamic and goes against the customs and tradition of the Muslim community. The song had caused unrest, public disturbance and insulted religious creed, not only in Kano but in all Muslim communities,” he revealed. 

When contacted, the Police Public Relation Officer SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa said that the police were served with the court order, adding that they will act accordingly.  

“We received the court order on Tuesday and we have launched an investigation into the matter as we were directed. We weren’t given an order to arrest Ado Gwanja as people think or as the press interpreted it,” he said.