By our reporter
In a dramatic turn of events, Kano State Government has dismissed the claim by the State Police Command that suspected terrorists were plotting a massive bloodfest by attacking huge gatherings in key locations in the heavily-populated North-Western State.
The government said the claim was a fake alarm and an attempt to disrupt a 39-year-old, annual religious festival in the state, the National Tijanniya Maulud.
The festival is being organized and led by the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II,whose reinstatement to the ancient throne on May 23, 2024 following his appointment by the state government, which is run by the opposition New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), has sparked bad blood between the Federal Government (FG)-controlled police and the State government.
The FG is controlled by the All Progressives Congress (APC) whose National Chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, was immediate past governor of Kano State.
As governor, Ganduje had dethroned Sanusi II and installed Malam Aminu Ado Bayero as Emir, an action that the NNPP government overturned –setting the stage for controversy with the State Police Command caught in-between the feuding sides.
On Friday, January 24, the Command had alerted the public to what it described as “intelligence reports” of suspected terrorists’ planned attacks on public gatherings in the state.
The Command warned people to avoid crowded areas.
Police Public Relations Officer for Kano (PPRO), Superintendent Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, in a statement, said the police had, in collaboration with sister security agencies, however,deployed necessary deterrence, to save lives.
His words: “We hereby urge residents to exercise caution and avoid crowded places and environments until further notice as a preventive measure to enable security operatives to identify and dislodge possible attackers.
“Necessary security arrangements have been put in place.”
But asserting that the Command was crying wolf where there is none, the State Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Comrade Ibrahim Abdu Waiya, told newsmen at the Emir’s Palace in Kano, that the police issued a fake alarm.
He condemned the moves of the security agencies, insisting that such were unnecessary and unjustified.
Waiya said: “There has been no security threat in Kano State to justify this extreme action.
“The National Tijjaniyya Maulud has been held for 39 consecutive years without incident. This attempt to prevent a lawful and peaceful religious gathering is unacceptable and a breach of the fundamental right to freedom of assembly and religious practice.
“This religious activity is organized by a legitimate body recognized by law.
“We urge the Federal Government to ensure that the police vacate the venue. Kano has always been a beacon of peace and religious tolerance, and we will not allow any external force to disrupt this harmony.”
