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Kidnapping: Kano Ministry, Hisbah to tackle ‘nefarious activities’ at Sabon Gari motor parks
By Nazifi Dawud
The Kano state Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development says it would collaborate with the state’s Hisbah board to fight nefarious activities at motor parks in Sabon Gari area of Kano city.
Kano Focus reports that the two government bodies were apparently responding to growing calls by members of the public to relocate the New Road bus park at Sabon Gari following the abduction of and forceful conversion to Christianity, of 10 Kano children by an Igbo kidnap network.
In a statement on Thursday, Dr Zahrau Muhammed Umar, said her ministry would collaborate with the Hisbah “to enhance sanity and promote security consciousness particularly at bus stations situated at Sabon gari area.”
The statement signed by Hadiza Mustapha Namadi, the ministry’s spokersperson, said Dr Zahrau made the remarks while receiving the Commander-General of Hisbah Board Ustaz Harun Mohammad Ibn Sina in her office.
“The commissioner added that based on the perceived public out cry on the alleged heinous activities at such motor parks, there is the urgent need of all and sundry to join hands together to sanitize the operations,” the statement read.
It added that the commissioner also lamented rampant divorce cases in the state and urged the Hisbah board “to collaborate with the ministry to come up with a robust approach for curtailing the menace.”
Sabon Gari area is a neighbourhood mainly dominated by members of the predominantly Christian Igbo ethnic group as well as other ethnic nationalities and non-natives.
There is widespread suspicion that the Sabon Gari bus station, along with other motor parks in Naibawa area of the city, is being used as channels through which abducted children are being transported to the Southern part of the country, particularly the Southeast zone.
Some Kano residents have also raised alarm that dealers of illegal drugs and narcotic substances also use the parks to smuggle drugs into the state from the Southeast zone.
A renowned legal practitioner Barrister Umar Usman Dan Baito had called on Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje to heed public advice to relocate the Sabon Gari park to areas dominated by native settlements like Dawanau area, which has a sprawling grain market.
“The relocation of the Sabon Gari motor park to an area such as the Dawanau market area would allow native residents to monitor the activities of non-natives who would have to pass through the market to reach the motor parks,” Mr Dan Baito told Dala FM on Wednesday.
“This is necessary if we want to check the abduction of young children and transportation of illegal hard drugs that destroy the lives of our youth into Kano state by unscrupulous non-natives”.
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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