By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Tension is mounting in Kano as the Kano Concerned Citizens group has called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and other security agencies to, as a matter of serious national security, caution the New Nigeria People’s Party’s (NNPP) leader and former Kano State Governor, Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
The group’s Secretary, Comrade Muhammad Auwal Shuaibu, in a press conference held in Kano on Sunday, criticized the way Kwankwaso spoke about Boko Haram.
“It is sad such a leader could make unguarded utterances which have grave implications on both Kano and national security,” Shuaibu said. “Kano and indeed the entire country is greater than any individual. His baseless claims and allegations that the federal government and APC are breeding a brand of new Boko Haram are not only saddening but show how shallow and petty Kwankwaso can be in order to score cheap political goals, especially among his supporters.”
Shuaibu further emphasized that the pugnacious and inciting comments by Sen. Kwankwaso, especially when he literally said he would rather die alongside his antagonist(s), “mutuwar kasco,” are fueling the tension. He deemed such comments unbecoming of someone who claims to be a leader.
Commending the Kano State Police Command under CP Mohammed Gumel, Shuaibu noted the professionalism in handling the Emirate tussle and identified the dedication to the law as the highest form of duty, even when faced with threats from the Kano State Government.
On the issue of the order for the demolition of the Nasarawa Palace of Emir HRH Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero by the state government, Comrade Shuaibu criticized the government’s actions. “It has proven that the State government has a knack for, and is synonymous with, the destruction of properties. It has shown that they are the instigators and enemies of Kano,” he stated.
The group also raised concerns about armed thugs being brought into the city, with each local government across the state reportedly requested to provide a bus full of armed thugs.
Co-convener of the group, Amb. Abdullahi D. Mohammad, also highlighted the tension exacerbated by Sen. Kwankwaso’s utterances. He called for security agencies to invite Kwankwaso for questioning, emphasizing the need to prevent any escalation of violence.
“Parents should warn their children to steer clear of the ongoing Emirates tussle. It is a game and fight for the elites. Daily, we see truckloads of youths armed with dangerous weapons and hard drugs being brought to Kofar Kudu of the Emir’s Palace,” Mohammad noted. He criticized the use of youths by politicians, whose own children are safely schooling abroad, to achieve ulterior motives.
The group urged security agencies to swiftly call to order those making inciting comments capable of throwing Kano into a needless and avoidable crisis.
