Kano, Nigeria – November 29, 2025 – In a sharp escalation of long-standing political rivalry, the Kano State Government has demanded the immediate investigation and arrest of former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, accusing him of attempting to establish an illegal militia group that could destabilize the state’s security.
The explosive demand was made on Thursday, November 27, 2025, during the 34th meeting of the State Executive Council (SEC) chaired by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf at the Government House, Kano.
The crisis was triggered days earlier when Ganduje, who governed Kano from 2015 to 2023 and later served as National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), publicly unveiled plans to create a voluntary security and moral policing outfit under the Abdullahi and Hafsatu Ganduje Foundation. The proposed organization, to be known as “Khairul Nas” (Good for Humanity) or “Independent Hisbah,” would re-engage approximately 12,000 personnel recently dismissed from the official Kano State Hisbah Board by the current administration.
Ganduje announced the initiative while reacting to a surge in bandit attacks across several local government areas and the mass sacking of Hisbah workers. He described the new group as a non-governmental, community-driven effort that would “enjoin what is good and forbid evil,” provide first aid, offer moral guidance, and support vulnerable citizens without overlapping with state security agencies. The outfit is to be led by Sheikh Muhammad Harun Ibn Sina, Ganduje’s former Commander-General of the state Hisbah.
The Kano State Government, however, interpreted the announcement as a deliberate attempt to create a parallel, unconstitutional armed structure. Speaking to journalists after the SEC meeting on Friday, November 28, the Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, described Ganduje’s statements — and similar comments by Deputy Senate President Barau I. Jibrin — as “inciting, reckless, and capable of undermining the security efforts of both the Kano State Government and the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
Waiya pointed to a disturbing timeline: less than 48 hours after Ganduje and Jibrin publicly declared Kano “vulnerable” to banditry and called for the recruitment of 12,000 youths into the new outfit, fresh attacks occurred in border communities of Kunchi and Bunkure local government areas, with several residents abducted. The government suggested the remarks may have been premeditated to embolden criminal elements.
The State Executive Council therefore directed security agencies to immediately investigate and arrest the former governor for “attempting to create an illegal militia group,” arguing that such actions violate the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, particularly provisions prohibiting private armies and vesting sole executive authority over security in the sitting governor.
The commissioner urged all political leaders and public figures to exercise restraint and avoid statements that could inflame tensions or incite unrest, while reassuring citizens that the government remains fully committed to protecting lives and property.
In a swift rebuttal issued on Saturday, November 29, Ganduje rejected the accusation, describing it as baseless and politically motivated. Through his media aide, he insisted that the Khairul Nas initiative is purely humanitarian and voluntary, with no intention of challenging state authority or promoting violence. He accused Governor Yusuf of playing politics with insecurity instead of addressing rising banditry, and challenged the governor to visit victims of recent attacks in Shanono, Tsanyawa, and Bagwai local government areas.
Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin also dismissed the allegations as malicious, urging the state government to focus on solving Kano’s security challenges rather than engaging in needless confrontation.
The current rift is the latest chapter in the bitter political feud between Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf (of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP) and Abdullahi Ganduje (APC). Since taking office in May 2023, Governor Yusuf has reversed many policies of the Ganduje administration, including the controversial dismissal of thousands of Hisbah personnel allegedly recruited for political patronage. Ganduje, in turn, has used his foundation to champion the welfare of the affected workers, positioning himself as their defender.
Legal and security analysts warn that the creation of parallel vigilante structures, even if initially presented as voluntary or religious, risks escalating communal tensions and could provide cover for political thuggery — a recurring problem in Kano’s turbulent political history.
As of November 29, 2025, no arrest has been made, but security presence has been intensified around key government installations in the state capital. Civil society organizations have called for calm and dialogue, emphasizing that Kano’s peace must not be sacrificed on the altar of political rivalry.
With banditry, kidnapping, and farmer-herder clashes continuing to threaten stability in northern Nigeria, many residents and observers are watching closely to see whether this latest confrontation will be resolved through legal and political channels — or spiral into broader unrest in one of Africa’s most populous and politically significant states.
