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Why parents of 9 abducted Kano children deserve arrest–Emir Sanusi
By Mukhtar Yahya Usman
Emir of Kano Muhammad Sanusi II has said parents of the nine Kano children who were abducted, forcefully converted to Christianity and sold in Anambra state, deserve to be arrested by the police for criminal negligence.
Kano Focus recalls that Kano Police Command had rescued nine missing children and paraded six Igbo persons who have confessed to abducting the kids, renaming and forcefully converting them to Christianity before selling them in Onitsha, Anambra state.
Breaking his silence on the issue for the first time, Mr Sanusi said when the abductions were first reported to him at his palace, he had asked his aides to find out from the Kano Police Command if there was any law on negligence.
The Emir spoke on Saturday at the 2019 public campaign on drug abuse organized by League for Societal protection against drugs abuse (LESPADA) held in Kano.
“People are talking that Igbo kidnapped our children, yes they did, but do they enter your house and steal them? Or you left your 3-year-old child roaming the street without knowing their whereabouts until they were missing?,” he asked rhetorically.
He said it is only in Hausa land that people abandon their children to roam the streets without taking care of them and when they are kidnapped, they would blame the government instead of themselves.
“Let’s tell ourselves the truth, I could remember when the case started and complaints were filed at the palace of missing children, what I said at that time was if I am the government I would have ordered the arrest of the parents for their negligence.
“I even asked to find from the then commissioner of police if there is any law on criminal negligence. How can someone appear before the emir and say his 3-year-old or 4-year-old child was missing? Any person who comes to tell the emir that his 3-year-old child has been abducted while playing outside his house deserves to be jailed for criminal negligence,” the Emir added.
‘Go to Onitsha and try it’
Mr Sanusi, who has been criticized for being silent on the abduction saga, however said he has been in contact with his counterpart, the Obi of Onitsha since the case began.
“I was in contact with Obi of Onitsha since the beginning of the saga, and we have discussed a lot and have made progress, we know what is going on and we are following the matter” he said.
The Emir lamented that “we always blamed Igbos or Yorubas for our problems when we are the ones to blame”.
“If not go to Onitsha today and try to abduct their children. Go there and see if you will find a 3-year-old or 4-year-old child roaming the streets or begging. It is only here (in the North) that a man will stay at home and send his child to beg for money and bring it to him to feed his wife. You are expecting your child to feed you,” he said.
‘I’m used to being misquoted’
Emir Sanusi also said that even though parents of the nine rescued children should take a blame for negligence, he didn’t say kidnappers of the children are innocent.
“And I didn’t say the kidnappers are innocent because people will now say that I blamed our people for allowing their children to be kidnapped. I am used to being misquoted. I didn’t say the kidnappers should not be punished because a proverb in Hausa that ‘idan kuda yana da kwadayi to alawa ma tana da zaki’ meaning if a housefly is greedy, the candy is also sweet,” Mr Sanusi said.
“If someone comes to your state to steal your children, they won’t be able to do it unless you left the children roaming the streets. If we don’t start to admit our own faults, then we would continue to remain in despair, blaming others for our own problems,” he added.
The monarch also identified the biggest problem of a typical Hausa man as the “inability to understand love.”
“We don’t know the meaning of love. A man will marry a woman but does not know the meaning of love. A man will give birth to a child but does not know the meaning of love.
“That is why a typical Hausa man will abandon a 3-year-old child who will fall into a well and drown. How? His father will be in the farm, while his mother will be chatting with her neighbours leaving the child roaming near an open well. And when the child falls into the well and dies, you will be crying and people will be condoling you. If you really love that child, you wouldn’t have allowed them to die. So, you are responsible for your child’s death. If not a Hausa man, nobody will do this. Therefore, we the Hausas need a radical change of mindset,” he said.
In her remarks, coordinator of LESPADA Maryam Hassan lamented the deteriorating social condition of the girl-child, saying parents must admit their failure and embrace change.
She said more women and girls are into drugs misuse as a result of forced marriages or marriage pressure.
Mrs Maryam advised parents to stop forcing their children into unintended and/or unwanted marriages in order to reduce societal problems.
She also called for collaboration between LESPADA and the Kano emirate, government, security agencies, community groups as well as individuals in the fight against drug abuse.
Ibrahim Khalil
The Kano State Police Command has arrested eight suspects in separate operations targeting drug peddling and thuggery in Panshekara and Kunchi/Ghari Local Government Area.
KANO FOCUS reports that the command disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday by its spokesperson, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori.
According to the statement, the operations, conducted on September 9, 2026, were part of the command’s intelligence-driven efforts to tackle drug abuse, thuggery and violent crimes across the state.
It said operatives of the Surveillance Team attached to Panshekara Police Division, acting on credible intelligence at about 2:30 p.m., intercepted eight suspects, including a 21-year-old man identified as Samson Yakubu of Samegu Quarters, at a suspected criminal hotspot.
A search of the suspects reportedly led to the recovery of 15 Pregabalin capsules, five Diazepam tablets, 10 Exol tablets and some quantity of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.
The police said the suspects were in custody and undergoing interrogation, while investigations were ongoing to establish the source of the suspected illicit drugs and identify other members of the alleged syndicate.
In a related operation conducted between 1 p.m. and 9 p.m. the same day, operatives of the Kunchi/Ghari Division carried out a coordinated market patrol and raid at Matanfada Market.
The command said the area had been identified as a place where youths allegedly intimidate traders and residents during market sessions.
Five suspects were arrested during the operation. They were identified as Abdullahi Isah of Dustin; Haruna Isah of Daqarawa Village; Habu Badamasi of Dan Taimu Village; Gambo Ya’u of Kura Village; and Abubakar Dahiru of Farau Village.
The police said investigation was ongoing to identify and arrest other suspected accomplices, while exhibits recovered during the operation had been taken into custody as evidence.
CP Bakori commended the operatives for what he described as their professionalism and swift response, assuring residents that the command would sustain its operations against drug abuse, thuggery and other violent crimes.
“In line with the IGP’s policing vision and our mandate to ensure a safe and secure Kano, we will continue to be proactive,” the commissioner said.
“We are sending a clear message to criminal elements that Kano State will not be a breeding ground for their activities.”
The command also appreciated members of the public, community leaders and vigilante groups for providing information that aided the operations.
It urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious movements or activities to the nearest police station.
The command said all suspects would be charged to court after the conclusion of investigations.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The funeral prayer for the late Shehu Kabir Bayero, Barde Kerarriya of Kano and District Head of Dorayi, was held on Thursday evening at Kofar Kudu, Kano Emir’s Palace.
KANO FOCUS reports that the prayer was led by the Chief Imam of Khamsus Salawati Mosque, Kofar Kudu, Malam Bello, and attended by hundreds of people from different parts of Kano State.
Among those who attended were the Secretary to the Kano State Government, Alhaji Umar Faruk; representative of the Emir of Kano, Matawallen Kano, Alhaji Aliyu Ibrahim Matawalle; Chief of Staff to the Kano State Government House, Dr Sani Wali; as well as district heads and members of the Muslim community.
Shehu Kabir Bayero died in a hospital in Egypt following a period of illness. He is survived by his wives, children and other relatives.
Until his death, the late Bayero served as Commissioner of Police in Gombe and Osun states before retiring from the Nigeria Police Force.
Following his retirement, the late Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, appointed him as the Barde Kerarriya of Kano and District Head of Takai Local Government Area after the death of his father, the late Kabir Bayero, an elder brother of the former emir.
He later served as District Head of Gwarzo.
Due to his wealth of experience in security matters, the current Emir of Kano, Khalifa Muhammadu Sanusi II, subsequently reassigned him as District Head of Dorayi, where he was expected to contribute to the sustenance of peace and security in the area.
The late district head was remembered for his service to the state and his experience in security and traditional administration.
May Allah forgive his shortcomings, have mercy on his soul and grant him Jannatul Firdaus. Ameen.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Kano State Ministry of Education, with support from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has held a planning meeting on the implementation and effective utilisation of the Nigeria Learning Passport (NLP) in the state.
KANO FOCUS reports that the meeting brought together relevant stakeholders from various ministries, agencies and development partners working in the education sector.
According to Malam Naziru Sirajo, deputy director EMIS and statistics in the Ministry of Education, the meeting was aimed at reviewing the current status of the Nigeria Learning Passport in Kano and developing a coordinated plan to strengthen its implementation, content utilisation, course completion, monitoring of learners’ progress and certification.
The Nigeria Learning Passport is a digital learning platform designed to provide Nigerian children and young people with access to curriculum-aligned educational content, including lessons, learning materials and assessments.
The platform is also designed to support learning continuity, including for learners facing limited or intermittent internet connectivity, while providing teachers and education stakeholders with digital resources to complement classroom instruction.
In Kano, the initiative is expected to strengthen awareness and utilisation of digital learning, while building the capacity of master trainers and technical teams to support schools, teachers and learners in using the platform effectively.
The effective utilisation of the Nigeria Learning Passport is expected to expand access to quality digital learning resources, promote independent learning, strengthen digital literacy and support improved learning outcomes and greater equity in access to educational opportunities.
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