If all the allegations made by the former Kano state Commissioner Alhaji Mohammed Yesufu at his final press conference in Kano are true, then Kano state is more of a Republic of Kano state then being part of Nigerian Federation. For the readers who may have not seen the press conference or had the news let me reproduce some here.
The Police Commissioner was quoted as saying that the Kano state Hisbah sharia police are now superior to the Nigeria police in Kano. That in fact they go to Nigeria police stations and barracks to arrest policemen, women and of course civilians. They close down shops, schools and churches at will. They harass magistrates and area court Judges. When courts of law grant bail, the hisbah police will arrest the suspect and detain him or her again in their make shift prisons.
The Kano state government it appears pays more allegiance to Saudi Arabia and Niger Republic than to Federal Republic of Nigeria. All the above allegations by the Police Commissioner were further confirmed by the interview Dr Babangida Aliyu, the chief servant of Niger state granted the Daily Independence of Thursday, May 7, 2009 and further authenticated by an article on the Sahara reporters.com of Friday May 8, 2009.
Kano state has its police, it has its own prison and its allegiance is more to Saudi Arabia and Niger Republic then to Nigeria. What and how then do we classify such an entity in the Nigerian Federation? Apart from the above charges by the Former Kano state Police commissioner, it is on record that more Nigerian citizens have been killed in Kano in religious crises than anywhere else in Nigeria and paralleled only by the civil war. Non Hausas particularly southerners and middle belters are always the prime target. The case that easily comes to my mind was the broad day light behaving of Gideon Akaluka in Sabon Gari market in 1990 by Islamic fundamentalist.
Since the coming of Ibrahim Shekarau to the Kano political scene, the Kano intransigence against the Nigerian Federation has become pronounced more than ever before.
I can conclude and safely say that the only major link between the Republic of Kano state if I may use the word and the Nigerian Federation is the fact that, Nigeria still pays the federal allocation to Republic of Kano. Republic of Kano still has its citizens working in the Federal republic of Nigeria. In fact it has 22 members in the Nigerian House of Representatives. The Nigerian ministers of Finance and National planning are all from Republic of Kano as well as the Chief of Army staff of the Nigerian Army. All these are senior positions by Nigerian standard while all the states of Plateau, Taraba, Adamawa, Gombe and Kogi can boast of are paltry junior ministers called the ministers of state.
It is disturbing however that despite the fact that Kano state has been trampling on the fundamental humans rights of Nigerians by preventing them from right to freedom of religion as enshrined in Constitution Federal Republic of Nigeria section 38 sub section one. Freedom of expression and association sections 39&40.
Right to own property sections 43&44. The Federal House of Representatives which is always quick to point accusing fingers to Plateau state have never found it expedient and necessary to even condemn these unlawful and barbaric behavior by Kano state. Even when Kano state have now confined the Nigeria Police to the dust bin of powerless force in Kano as confirmed by Kano state former Police Commissioner.
By the way, is what Kano state doing not akin to introducing true federalism through the back door? While other states like Abia, Lagos and Anambra have been prevented from owning state police, why the preferential treatment for Kano state to own the hisbah police which is now superior to the Nigeria police.
House of Representatives are you there, what is good for Plateau state is surely good for Kano state. I therefore expect you to condemn Kano state for usurping the Federal police through the Hisbah sharia police otherwise you guys have hidden agenda against Plateau state and Nigeria in general. Now that you have completely grounded the constitution amendment exercise which is more important to us than anything else you guys will do for now.
You guys should as a matter of national important rise a motion in the House this week to condemn Kano state.
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