The Kano Concerned Journalist Forum (KCJF) has issued a stern warning regarding the escalating political climate in Kano State, asserting that the rising tensions are actively worsening insecurity and hindering the operations of security agencies.
In a statement released on Sunday, the 30th of November, and signed by its chair, A’isha Ahmad, the forum declared it is “seriously concerned regarding the escalating political tension in Kano State,” going on to describe the situation as a manifestation of “a deepening leadership crisis that is amplifying public anxiety, distracting security agencies, and endangering the lives of citizens.”
The unrest, the group explained, stems in part from the Kano State Government’s move to call for the arrest of former governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, alongside accusations also linked to the deputy senate president, Barau Jibrin. The state government holds that statements allegedly made by these political figures have “exacerbated insecurity in the region.” According to KCJF, the state government believes recent remarks attributed to these individuals have contributed to “rising tension and increased criminal activities.”
KCJF emphasized that the insecurity in the state “has escalated beyond mere political discourse, impacting rural communities which poses great threat to the urban cities of the state.” The forum warned that the ongoing confrontation among political factions is shifting focus away from vital strategic security reforms, noting that “This leadership standoff is undermining community trust in government, hindering coordinated security planning, and overburdening local security institutions with political pressures,” allowing “Criminal groups are exploiting existing divisions.”
The forum was explicit in its call for caution from political actors, stating, “Political leaders at all levels must refrain from making statements that could incite fear, foster division, or undermine the efforts of security agencies.” It stressed that “the citizens of Kano require solutions, not verbal confrontations.”
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To address the growing crisis, the KCJF called for an immediate cessation of all inflammatory rhetoric. It also urged security agencies and community leaders to hold regular joint briefings aimed at rebuilding public confidence and emphasized the critical need for enhanced intelligence gathering in rural and peri-urban areas where “new threats are emerging.”
The KCJF further appealed to political leaders, security personnel, stakeholders, and the state government to unify their approach to security. It proposed “a unified, region wide security framework, collaborative intelligence operations, joint border patrol initiatives and a common early warning system to identify threats before they escalate,” insisting that fragmented strategies are no longer sufficient to tackle cross-border criminal operations, and thus, “the North West must act and speak with a unified voice.”
Reaffirming its commitment to the state’s residents, the forum insisted that leaders must “prioritize the welfare of citizens over political interests and focus on restoring peace, unity, and long term stability,” concluding with the poignant warning: “When Kano sneezes the entire Northern Nigeria shivers.”