The Kano State Executive Council has demanded the immediate arrest and investigation of former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje over what it described as “inciting and reckless” remarks about the state’s security situation.
Okay News reports that the decision followed deliberations at the council’s 34th Executive Meeting held on Thursday at the Government House, Kano.
At the briefing on Friday, Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, said the council reviewed recent comments by Ganduje and Nigeria’s Deputy Senate President, Barau I. Jibrin, alleging that Kano was becoming increasingly vulnerable to banditry.
The duo also referenced plans to recruit 12,000 people into a proposed religious police outfit known as Khairul Nas, a move the government insists is illegal.
According to Waiya, the state government considers the remarks dangerous, especially as they coincided with a security breach in the state.
He noted that bandits infiltrated border communities less than 48 hours after the comments, raising concerns about whether the statements were “premeditated or linked to the attack”.
“We don’t know what Ganduje mean with those statements so we are therefore calling for his arrest. He must be investigated because we cannot afford to watch him destabilise our peace in the state,” Waiya said.
The council praised the Federal Government and security agencies for their continued support, stressing that no individual or political figure would be allowed to create an unauthorised security militia under any guise.
It also cautioned public office holders to avoid issuing statements capable of inciting unrest, assuring residents that the state remains committed to peace, law, and order across Kano.