Headlines
How renewed KAROTA fury hurts Kano road users
By Mukhtar Yahya Usman
On 8 September, 2019, just like any ordinary day, Yusuf Baba had left his pregnant wife and five children at home.
As he rode on his motorcycle on his way to the Kano Sports Commission along Club Road in Nasarawa local government area of Kano state, where he served as a weightlifting coach, it never crossed his mind that it was his last day on earth.
Mr Baba was just a few meters to his destination when, without warning, a dark blue Volkswagen saloon car, swerved to his side of the road on top speed and crushed him to death.
An eyewitness told Kano Focus that the commercial vehicle, with registration number KTG 174 AA, had the accident due to a nasty struggle for control of its steering wheel between its driver and a personnel of the Kano Road Traffic Agency (KAROTA), who was determined to stop the driver from fleeing.
This was how Mr Baba’s wife, Zainab was widowed and his five children orphaned in one of the several reckless confrontations between overzealous KAROTA officers and road users that often disregard traffic rules.
It was one death too many for the family as Mr Baba left behind a mentally disabled son, Umar, who relied totally on his father for his monthly follow up at a psychiatric hospital in Kano, where he receives expensive medications.
In addition, Zainab’s unborn child has also been deprived of its father.
Both the KAROTA officer and the driver of the Golf car were subsequently arrested and detained by the Kano Police Command.
About a week earlier, some KAROTA officials had also flagged down a trailer truck at Ibrahim Taiwo Road by Bello Road roundabout and attempted to arrest the driver on a charge of unlawfully using additional headlamps.
It was learnt that the KAROTA personnel ordered the driver, Kabiru Muhammad to park but before he could comply, one of them reportedly requested to drive the truck, a demand the driver refused.
Truck driver Kabiru Muhammad covered in blood
Without warning, the angry traffic official insulted Mr Muhammad just as another hit him on the head with a stick, causing him a serious injury from which blood gushed out and covered his face and clothing.
In protest at the maltreatment of their colleague, other truck drivers turned off their engines in the middle of the road, causing a massive traffic gridlock that was only cleared after the arrival of police operatives who arrested the errant KAROTA officials.
Truck drivers protest the assault on their colleague Kabiru Muhamma by KAROTA
On August 15, 2019, a magistrate court sentenced a KAROTA official to jail after he was found guilty of hitting one Hassan Zamzam with a stick in the leg and inflicting a fracture on him.
The victim was attacked by the angry KAROTA officer for allegedly beating traffic.
Kano Focus reports that the air waves in Kano are replete with complaints on excesses of KAROTA officers on the roads, especially their act of carrying sticks which they routinely use to smash heads and windshields of motorists, tricycle riders and other vehicle owners who dared to cross paths with them.
The renewed vigour of KAROTA officials in assaulting motorists manifested since the appointment of the agency’s new Managing Director, Bappa Babba DanAgundi, a former lawmaker at the Kano state House of Assembly, who failed in his re-election bid during the 2019 general elections.
It was under Mr DanAgundi’s leadership that KAROTA operatives started using sticks that are painted in the yellow and black colours of the agency to assault motorists and other road users who violate traffic rules.
Commercial drivers often complain of being extorted and forced to pay exorbitant fines, which are higher than those charged by any of the federal agencies that supervise road safety.
A KAROTA personnel trying to arrest a truck driver
As a result, many commercial motorists have stopped transporting traders to Kano, causing a sharp decline in commerce and trade, a situation that threatens the economic prosperity of the state.
Since it was established in 2014 by former Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, KAROTA has been a fiery traffic outfit that attracts anger and hatred due to its persistent clashes with motorists in the course of enforcing traffic rules.
Even though it has succeeded in restoring sanity and instilling discipline in Kano’s erstwhile lawless motorists, recently, the agency has been accused of contradicting its own motto: “Sanity and Safety” by chasing moving vehicles to the point of causing accidents and in some cases leading to serious injuries or outright loss of lives.
Observers have also pointed out that while KAROTA is harsh on poor and weak road users especially commercial vehicle owners who are struggling to make ends meet, they often fail to punish powerful politicians and security agencies who move in convoys and break traffic rules with impunity.
“This leaves us with no option that to believe that the rules are meant to punish only the weak and the poor and also serve as a means of extorting and further impoverishing them, while allowing the rich and powerful to do as they please,” a driver Garba Adamu told our correspondent.
“The government should overhaul KAROTA in order to make them more humane in their operations,” he added.
However, in his reaction, the KAROTA Managing director Bappa Babban Danagundi has explained why personnel of the agency carry sticks on the roads while controlling traffic in Kano city.
Dan-Agundi said KAROTA officers are using sticks to protect themselves from attacks by angry motorists and other road users who are not happy with how the traffic officials conduct their duty.
He said many KAROTA personnel have been attacked by errant motorists, adding that some of them are still in hospital with fractures and other serious injuries.
Although Dr. Dan-Agundi admitted that using weapons is against the laws of KAROTA, he however, pointed that the Nigerian Constitution has given citizens the right to defend themselves from harm including government officials.
He also said that apart from restoring sanity on Kano roads, KAROTA officials have been commended by security agencies for arresting a fake soldier and handing him over to the appropriate authority for prosecution.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Nafisah Yusuf Hassan, a magistrate in Kano State, has been recommended for appointment as a judge of the Kano State High Court by the National Judicial Council (NJC).
KANO FOCUS reports that Hassan is among four judicial officers from Kano State recommended for elevation to the High Court bench out of 28 candidates selected nationwide.
The other nominees are Halima Yahuza Ahmad, Abdullahi Abdulsalam Bature and Musa Ibrahim Umar.
The NJC disclosed the recommendations in a statement issued by its Deputy Director of Information, Kemi Babalola-Ogedengbe, following its consideration of candidates for judicial appointments across the country.
The council said all recommended candidates were expected to be sworn in by their respective state governors without delay.
Hassan’s recommendation follows her years of service in the Kano State judiciary, where she has reportedly distinguished herself through diligence, professionalism and careful handling of cases.
She has been commended for her commitment to judicial ethics, diligence and fairness in the discharge of her responsibilities, achievements that contributed to her career progression within the judiciary.
Her elevation is part of a broader development in the Kano State judiciary, with four magistrates from the state successfully scaling the selection process for appointment to the High Court.
The four nominees were reportedly assessed during the selection exercise and demonstrated strong professional competence, while their service records were found to be free of adverse remarks.
Their recommendation marks a significant step in their judicial careers and is expected to strengthen the judicial workforce in Kano State upon their formal appointment.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Kano State Accountability Forum on Education (K-SAFE) says it has tracked nearly 1,000 education projects across the state as part of efforts to promote transparency, accountability and effective service delivery in the education sector.
KANO FOCUS the coalition’s Co-Chair, Dr Auwalu Halilu, disclosed this on Wednesday during an advocacy visit to the Kano State Ministry of Public Procurement and Project Monitoring.
Dr Halilu said K-SAFE had monitored projects in more than six local government areas, covering interventions implemented by the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Kano State Senior Secondary Education Management Board and Local Education Authorities (LEAs).
He explained that the monitoring exercise involved physical inspections and documentation of projects through photographs, videos and geographical locations.
According to him, reports of the findings had been submitted to relevant ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), highlighting projects that met required standards and those requiring further attention.
He cited Rimin Gado Local Government Area, where the coalition tracked more than 80 education projects, adding that it planned to extend the exercise to all 44 local government areas of the state.
The K-SAFE Co-Chair said the visit was aimed at presenting the coalition’s activities to the ministry and exploring areas of collaboration in procurement and project monitoring.
He called for the inclusion of civil society organisations in procurement and monitoring processes, particularly tender board activities and field inspections, to strengthen independent oversight and provide them with firsthand information on government projects.
Dr Halilu also requested the ministry’s support in organising capacity-building programmes for civil society organisations on procurement procedures, due process, project standardisation, monitoring and evaluation.
He said such training would enhance civil society organisations’ understanding of procurement regulations and the technical requirements guiding project implementation.
Responding, the Commissioner for Public Procurement and Project Monitoring, Dr Nura Iro Ma’aji, welcomed the delegation and acknowledged the coalition’s contributions to supporting the state government’s efforts in the education sector.
He expressed the ministry’s readiness to collaborate with K-SAFE through information sharing and other relevant engagements to strengthen accountability and ensure compliance with due process.
“From our side, we are ready to work together because we know what they have been doing to support Kano State Government in the education sector,” he said.
Dr Halilu further disclosed that the coalition and its partner organisations had carried out the monitoring exercise without financial sponsorship, describing it as a demonstration of their commitment to transparency and accountability.
He reaffirmed K-SAFE’s commitment to sustaining engagement with relevant government agencies, civil society organisations and the media to strengthen oversight of education projects across Kano State.
Ibrahim Khalil
Government Secondary School (GSS) Army Day Bukavu has emerged champion in both the male and female categories of the maiden Kano State Secondary Schools Tug of War Competition.
KANO FOCUS reports that the school clinched the double victory at the competition, which ended on Wednesday at the Kano Pillars Stadium, Sabon Gari, Kano.
Governors College finished as runners-up in the male category, while Government Girls College (GGC) Kano secured second position in the female category.
The competition was organised by the Kano State Tug of War Association in collaboration with the state Ministry of Education, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Kano State Sports Commission.
The maiden championship brought together secondary school students to promote teamwork, discipline, unity and sportsmanship, while raising awareness about the dangers of drug abuse.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Vice Chairman of the Kano State Tug of War Association, Jamilu Uba Adamu, described the competition as a successful initiative that had achieved its objectives.
He commended the Ministry of Education, Sports Commission, NDLEA, Gongoni Company Limited and MAGZO Pharmaceutical for supporting the event, particularly through the provision of T-shirts and Pocari Sweat drinks.
Also speaking, the Secretary of the Kano State Tug of War Association, Bashir Muhammad Sulaiman, who represented the Executive Chairman of the Sports Commission, Muhammad Tukur Babangida, reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to developing grassroots and school sports.
He said the initiative would help identify and nurture young sporting talents across the state.
The closing ceremony was attended by a member of the Kano State Football Association Board, Rilwanu Idris Malikawa Garu, representatives of the Ministry of Education, NDLEA, the Sports Commission and other stakeholders in the sports sector.
The organisers congratulated the winning schools and commended all participating institutions and partners for contributing to the success of the maiden edition.
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GSS Army Day Bukavu Wins Maiden Kano Secondary Schools Tug of War Championship
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