Kano insecurity: Analyst cautions Ganduje, urges Gov Yusuf to prioritise public safety

A political analyst, Hassan Ibrahim, has warned former Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, against making statements or taking actions that could further heighten insecurity in the state.

Ibrahim, who spoke in an exclusive interview with newsmen, also urged Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to set politics aside and focus on protecting lives and property amid rising security concerns.

He said the situation must be viewed from two critical angles — Ganduje’s intentions and the current administration’s reactions.

“The first angle is about Ganduje and what he is trying to achieve with his statements. The second angle is how the Kano State Government under Abba Kabir Yusuf is interpreting and responding to it,” he said.

Ibrahim warned that some of the former governor’s recent comments could worsen the fragile security atmosphere. He referenced Ganduje’s remarks about creating a new private security outfit based on a report alleging that the Yusuf administration sacked over 12,000 Hisbah personnel.

“If we look at Ganduje’s political strategy, one will think he may be using the insecurity issue to weaken the current government. When a government fails to handle insecurity, the people will blame the governor, and that could affect voter perception in future elections,” he noted.

According to him, setting up a separate security structure would only escalate tensions.

“There is already a state-owned security outfit, the Hisbah, and they are doing their best. If Ganduje establishes his own, it will create clashes between the two. The government may then focus more on countering his outfit instead of dealing with bandits,” Ibrahim warned.

He said such distractions could embolden criminals.

“Bandits and people with negative intentions can capitalize on the tension to attack leaders and communities,” he added.

The analyst also argued that the current government has grounds to hold Ganduje partly responsible for the current insecurity, citing the growth of political thuggery during his tenure.

“Under Ganduje’s administration, thuggery didn’t just grow, it became a political tool to intimidate opponents. It was even alleged during the 2019 inconclusive election that thugs were hired to intimidate voters,” he said.

He added that Ganduje’s role in the lingering emirship crisis has contributed to the state’s instability.

Turning to the present government, Ibrahim called on Governor Yusuf to act decisively.

“This is a clarion call for Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to deploy all resources within his constitutional powers to stop and defeat insecurity in Kano. His first mandate is to protect the lives and property of the people,” he said.

He urged the governor to strengthen collaboration with security agencies, noting that “there is no way they can defeat insecurity without a healthy relationship with the police, DSS and the military.”

Ibrahim appealed to both Ganduje and Governor Yusuf to put Kano first.

“Before politics, there must be Kano. Without people, there is no politics. Ganduje should support the current administration to tackle insecurity first, and political battles can follow later,” he said.

His comments follow the Kano State Executive Council’s recent call for the arrest of Ganduje and Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin over alleged incitement of bandits to attack communities.

The council accused the former governor of either inciting or abetting terrorists in parts of the state.

Ganduje, in response, dismissed the allegations as “reckless, baseless and politically motivated,” accusing Governor Yusuf of failing to secure Kano and seeking scapegoats.

Recall that Ganduje, on Saturday, launched the sale of registration forms for an independent Hisbah outfit in Kano. The project is led by APC chieftain Baffa Babba Dan Agundi and former Hisbah Commander Sheikh Harun Ibn Sina.

Ibn Sina said the new outfit is not a government agency but a voluntary organisation created for religious and humanitarian purposes, adding that it aims to provide a platform for about 12,000 individuals allegedly disengaged from the state-run Hisbah.