The 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has issued a strong warning against gender-based violence, stressing that Islam does not condone harming women in any form.
He made this statement at his palace in Kano on Monday, the 21st of July, 2025, while receiving a delegation from the Development Research and Project Center (dRPC) and the Center for Islamic Civilisation and Interfaith Dialogue (CICID), affiliated with Bayero University.
The visit was part of a Ford Foundation-backed programme that encourages Muslim clerics in northern Nigeria to take clear stances against violence targeted at women.
Emir Sanusi told the delegation that traditional leaders under his authority must protect women’s rights and uphold justice in their communities.
“I never believe in beating women, and those who do, are not beating their wives with the intention of reforming them,” Sanusi said.
READ ALSO: Nigerians Already Living with Bandits, Boko Haram — Sanusi
“What we see today is even serious beating and injuring of women in the name of reforming them.”
He warned that any traditional titleholder involved in such abuse would lose their title.
Sanusi’s comments reinforce growing calls from influential figures to challenge harmful cultural norms masked as discipline.
He reiterated that Islam does not support violence under any guise.