Headlines
Abducting, converting our children to Christians ‘very dangerous’–Kano Elders
By Nazifi Dawud
The Kano Concerned Citizens Initiative (KCCI) has condemned the abduction and conversion of nine Kano children to Christianity by a criminal gang of Igbo kidnappers, who were arrested by the Kano state police command.
Kano Focus reports that the Kano Police Command had on Friday paraded six Igbo persons who have confessed to abducting children and selling them in Onitsha, Anambra state.
A statement signed by chairman of the group, Alhaji Bashir Othman Tofa, on behalf of other members, and sent to Kano Focus on Monday, said the abduction of the nine Kano children is a special crime due to its “ideological undertones”.
“Whatever was the purpose of these abductions it is still frightening because of the newspaper reports of the horrendous experiences the children underwent. This is a specialized organized crime that manipulates religion to exploit the innocent children. It is widely re-ported that the names of the children were changed and they were “converted” to Christianity. This is a very dangerous dimension,” the statement read.
‘More captives’
“We therefore call on all umbrella religious associations of Christians and Muslim to condemn this evil action and take the necessary steps. If we recall when one Esie Oruru of Bayelsa State, was claimed to have been taken by her lover who converted her to Islam, Muslim leaders condemned the behavior and took the appropriate steps since the girl was under-aged. The press also made several headline stories and commentaries. So we now expect nothing less from them on this issue of abduction of nine children. Who, were abused in the name of converting them to Christianity.
“And, possibly, they were being taken for other purposes such as slavery, human sacrifice for rituals or use in baby factories, which have become rampant crimes of such kind of abductors. It is in this light that we call on the Nigeria Police not to relent in their efforts of unearthing the true motives of this abduction.
“In addition, we call on the Nigerian Police and the Security Agencies to do their utmost to investigate if there are any more of these captive children and adults from other States en-slaved anywhere else in the country, not only in Anambra State,” the statement advised.
The group also demanded the Kano state government to liaise with its Anambra counterpart to investigate the nature of the crime considering the past maltreatment of Northerners in Anambra state.
“We call on Kano State Government to liaise with Anambra State Government to find out the nature of these abductions and the better ways of cooperating to end these criminal activities for the over-all peaceful co-existence of the citizens of Nigeria.
“This becomes more imperative if we recall what a former Governor of Anambra State (Peter Obi) did to some innocent Northerners living in his state until a former Governor of Kano State (Rabiu Kwankwaso) visited him to resolve the issue. State Governments have the capacity and human resources to utilize in fostering peace in their various communities and the country in general,” the KCCI said.
“We call on the Press to continue to expose these criminals for what they are. The Press has important role to play and it must eschew partisanship and sectionalism. There is need for wide coverage of this crime to inform and enlighten the public on the atrocities of these criminals who want to hide under religious and ethnic garb to perpetrate their evil machinations of dividing the country along these lines.
“We call on the law-abiding citizens of Kano State to remain calm and report any suspicious activities to the police. The criminals who abducted these children for diabolical reasons would face the wrath of the law. Even though they are from a particular part of the country they don’t represent their ethnic group therefore no one should profile that ethnic group in this regard. They are responsible for their actions before the law and they should face it irrespective of where they come from,” it added.
Other members of the KCCI–which is “dedicated to the overall welfare of Kano citizens” are: Engr. Bashir M. Borodo, Dr. Tijjani Naniya, Alhaji Shehu Muhammad, Hajiya Binta Sarki Mukhtar, Alhaji Muhammad S. Nanono, Alhaji Abdurrahman Umar and Alhaji Sabi’u Ibrahim.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Kano State Government has directed all civil servants who have attained their statutory retirement age or completed the required length of service to immediately vacate their offices and hand over government property in their possession.
KANO FOCUS reports that the directive was contained in Circular issued on Tuesday by the Establishment Directorate, Office of the Head of Civil Service, Kano State.
The circular, signed by the Permanent Secretary, Establishment, Abba A. Danguguwa, on behalf of the Head of Civil Service, was titled: “Unauthorized Continuance in Service After Statutory Retirement by Civil Servants in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of Government – Call for Immediate Handing Over of Official Documents, Properties.”
The government said it had observed that some civil servants continued to remain in office and operate in official capacities after reaching their statutory retirement period.
According to the circular, such conduct was a “negation to the reputation of the Civil Service of Kano State,” noting that the service had a long-standing tradition of ensuring seamless transition by retiring civil servants.
It described the continued stay in service after retirement as a direct infraction and aberration of relevant provisions of the State Civil Service Rules and other applicable service regulations.
The government stressed that it was legally and administratively untenable for any officer to remain in service or perform official functions beyond the statutory limit.
Consequently, all civil servants who had retired either by age or length of service were directed to immediately exit and hand over all official documents, government property and duties to their immediate subordinates in their respective ministries, departments and agencies.
The circular also directed all Accounting Officers, including Permanent Secretaries and Chief Executives, as well as Directors of Administration and Personnel Management, to ensure strict and immediate compliance with the directive.
It warned that any officer found aiding, abetting or condoning the continued stay of a retired officer in service would face appropriate disciplinary action in accordance with the Civil Service Rules.
The directive takes immediate effect, the circular stated.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf says his administration has settled approximately N32 billion out of the N48 billion inherited backlog of gratuities and related liabilities owed to retirees in the state.
KANO FOCUS reports that Gov Yusuf disclosed this on Thursday while addressing residents at the 66th Independence Anniversary celebration held at the Sani Abacha Indoor Stadium in Kano.
The governor said the government had also sustained the regular payment of monthly pensions while increasing the minimum monthly pension from N5,000 to N20,000.
He said the welfare of workers and pensioners remained a priority of his administration, citing timely payment of salaries, improved remuneration and measures aimed at strengthening the public service.
According to him, the state has maintained the practice of paying workers’ salaries on or before the 25th of every month while implementing the N71,000 minimum wage for civil servants.
Gov Yusuf also said his administration was sponsoring public servants for professional training, including programmes at the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON), to strengthen their administrative and leadership capacity.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to building a professional and motivated workforce, while ensuring that the contributions and sacrifices of serving workers and retirees were recognised and treated with dignity.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Experts in reproductive health have called for improved access to contraceptive services in Nigeria, saying women and girls should be provided with accurate information and the freedom to make informed choices about family planning.
KANO FOCUS reports that they made the call on Wednesday during a virtual engagement organised by the Network of Reproductive Health Journalists of Nigeria (NRHJN) to mark the 2026 World Contraception Day.
Speaking at the event, Executive Director of the Centre for Bridging Health Gaps (CBHG), Dr Moriam Jagun, said misconceptions surrounding family planning remained a major barrier to contraceptive uptake.
Dr Moriam Jagun
Jagun said neither Islam nor Catholicism was against family planning, urging the media and health stakeholders to address religious and cultural misconceptions with accurate information.
She said fears that contraceptive use could cause infertility, cancer, excessive bleeding and other health problems also discouraged some women from using family planning methods.
According to her, such concerns should not simply be dismissed as myths, but should be addressed through honest counselling and evidence-based information that enables women to make informed decisions.
Jagun said contraceptive prevalence remained low in Nigeria, putting the national average at about 15 per cent, compared with 31 per cent in Lagos.
She also cited research showing that educated people were more likely to embrace family planning than those with lower levels of education.
She therefore called for greater attention to marginalised, vulnerable and underserved communities, saying national averages could conceal significant inequalities in access to reproductive health services.
Jagun said access should not be measured simply by whether contraceptives were available in health facilities.
She identified financial, physical, social, cultural and religious, as well as informational barriers that could prevent women from accessing services even when contraceptives were available.
“Availability is not the same as access,” she stressed, noting that a woman could have contraceptives available at a health facility but still be unable to obtain them because of cost, distance, stigma, provider attitudes or lack of information.
She also cautioned healthcare providers against allowing personal beliefs or biases to interfere with professional responsibilities, particularly when dealing with young and unmarried women seeking contraception.
According to her, providers should inform and support clients rather than make reproductive decisions on their behalf.
Jagun further urged stakeholders to prioritise adolescents, rural women, women with disabilities and other underserved populations in the design and delivery of family planning services.
She said the success of family planning should not be measured only by the number of women accepting contraceptives, but also by whether clients were properly informed, offered options, made voluntary choices and retained the freedom to change or discontinue a method.
On the role of the media, she urged journalists to rely on accurate and evidence-based information and avoid sensational reporting.
She also advised the media to clearly distinguish family planning and contraception from abortion in their reporting to prevent misinformation and confusion.
Presenting on the theme “A Choice for All: Agency, Intention, Access,” Executive Director of Media, Health and Rights Initiative of Nigeria (MHR), Mrs Alu Azege, said contraceptive access should be viewed beyond the mere availability of commodities.
Mrs Alu Azege
Azege, who is also Chair of the Media and Visibility Subcommittee of the 9th Nigerian Family Planning Conference, said genuine access required women to have information, options, privacy, affordability, respectful counselling and freedom from pressure or judgment.
She said the word “all” in the World Contraception Day theme was particularly significant, stressing that contraceptive access should include unmarried young women, adolescents, widows, market women, students and other groups that could face barriers to services.
Azege described the media as an important channel for reproductive health information, particularly as young people increasingly encounter contraceptive information through social media before meeting healthcare providers.
She said traditional media could complement social media by verifying information, debunking myths, amplifying questions from young people and holding authorities accountable for gaps in health service delivery.
She also highlighted both the opportunities and risks associated with artificial intelligence, saying AI could provide personalised, private and accessible reproductive health information, but warned that bias, misinformation and unequal access to technology could undermine its benefits.
In her welcome address, President of NRHJN, Mrs Oluyinka Shokunbi, said every Nigerian woman and girl should have access to safe contraception and the ability to decide if, when and how often to have children.
Mrs Oluyinka Shokunbi
Shokunbi said contraceptive access could help prevent unintended pregnancies, improve maternal and child health and advance women’s ability to pursue education, careers and participation in public life.
She said cultural, religious and information barriers continued to limit access to contraception, while young people were increasingly turning to social media and artificial intelligence for sexual health information.
She called for unhindered access to accurate information and contraceptive choices, particularly for women and girls who remain underserved by existing health systems.
KANO FOCUS reports that the engagement was held under the 2026 World Contraception Day theme,“No Barriers, Just Choices: Contraceptive Access Now!”
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