Headlines
2025 Hajj:Kano Pilgrims Board Deploys 300-Man Team, Unveils Seven Key Committees
As part of sweeping preparations for the successful conduct of the 2025/1446 Hajj exercise, the Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board has inaugurated a 300-member support team structured into seven critical committees to serve Kano pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.
Speaking at a high-level stakeholders’ orientation program in Kano, the Director General of the Board, Alhaji Lamin Rabi’u Danbappa, said the teams were carefully selected to deliver essential services that ensure safety, discipline, health, and effective communication for pilgrims.
Each of the seven committees has been assigned a specialized role, led by experienced professionals:
• Orientation Committee led by Sheikh Tijjani Sani Mai Hula, will oversee the training, sensitization, and spiritual guidance of intending pilgrims.
• Tribunal Committee, chaired by Barrister Ibrahim Haruna Khalil, is tasked with handling internal disputes and disciplinary matters.
• Hisbah Committee under the leadership of Dr. Mujahiddeen Aminuddeen, will promote Islamic ethics and moral conduct among pilgrims.
• Medical Committee, headed by Dr. Ibrahim Musa, will manage healthcare delivery and emergency response.
• Environmental Committee, led by Sanusi Kabir, will ensure cleanliness and hygienic conditions in pilgrims’ accommodations.
• Media Committee, coordinated by Ibrahim Adam, will provide coverage, updates, and documentation of Hajj activities.
• Social Media Committee, led by Is-haq Abdullahi, will handle real-time digital communication and public engagement.
“These seven committees form the backbone of our 2025 Hajj operations,” said Alhaji Danbappa. “With the full support of His Excellency Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, we are confident this team will deliver world-class services to our pilgrims in line with global best practices.”
He added that Governor Yusuf has provided all necessary logistics, resources, and morale support to ensure the teams operate effectively and uphold Kano’s long-standing reputation for well-organized Hajj missions.
The stakeholders’ event drew participants from religious institutions, travel agencies, health sectors, and civil society, all committed to a smooth and spiritually fulfilling pilgrimage for Kano indigenes.
Headlines
Police arrest five over unauthorised distribution of local herbal medicine in Kano
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Kano State Police Command has arrested five persons over the alleged unauthorised administration and sale of locally made herbal medicine at a church premises in Kano, warning individuals and organisations against conducting medical outreaches without regulatory approval.
KANO FOCUS reports that the command disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday by its spokesperson, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa.
According to the statement, operatives of the 52 Police Mobile Force (PMF), Chalawa, intercepted six men on August 4 at the ECWA Church located behind the 52 PMF Base in Challawa, following complaints from residents and public outcry over the activity.
The police identified the group’s leader as **Simon Gbaaondo**, 50, from Karu in Nasarawa State.
The suspects were alleged to have been administering unverified locally made medicine free of charge and offering it for sale to large numbers of residents from Panshekara and surrounding communities without approval from the relevant health regulatory authorities.
The police also invited the individual who hosted the group at the church to assist investigators in establishing the circumstances surrounding the exercise.
The case was initially reported at the Panshekara Police Division before being transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), where five of the suspects are currently undergoing further investigation.
The Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, cautioned members of the public against administering drugs, herbal medicines or conducting medical outreach programmes without authorisation from the Kano State Government, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and other relevant health authorities.
The police said such activities pose serious public health and security risks, particularly when they attract large crowds.
The command urged residents to report any suspicious medical outreach or distribution of unverified medicines to the nearest police station, assuring the public of its commitment to safeguarding lives and maintaining public order.
Police said further details on the investigation would be made available as the case progresses.
Headlines
Kano Assembly passes bill to regulate private school fees
Ibrahim Khalil
The Kano State House of Assembly has passed a bill seeking to regulate fees charged by private schools and strengthen oversight of private educational institutions across the state.
KANO FOCUS reports that the legislation, titled the Kano State Private and Voluntary Institutions Board (Amendment) Bill, 2026, introduces measures aimed at protecting parents from arbitrary tuition fee increases while improving the administration of private schools.
Speaking after the bill was passed on Monday, the House Majority Leader, Alhaji Lawan Hussaini, said the amendment requires all private primary and secondary schools in the state to consult their Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) before implementing any increase in school fees.
He explained that under the new law, any approved fee increment must not exceed 10 per cent of the existing tuition fees.
The Executive Bill, which is awaiting the assent of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, also provides that the Executive Secretary of the Kano State Private and Voluntary Institutions Board must be a retired or experienced educationist who attained at least Grade Level 14 in the public service.
Hussaini further disclosed that private schools would no longer be permitted to charge students more than 10 per cent above the official registration fees prescribed by external examination bodies, including the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the National Examinations Council (NECO), and the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB).
The amendment also reduces the statutory charges payable by private schools to the Board from 15 per cent to five per cent.
According to the Majority Leader, the provisions are part of broader reforms aimed at streamlining the administration of private schools, promoting transparency, and improving educational standards across Kano State.
The bill will become law upon receiving the assent of Governor Yusuf.
Headlines
Senator Rufa’i Sani Hanga resigns from NDC
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Senator Rufa’i Sani Hanga, who represents Kano Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, has resigned his membership of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
KANO FOCUS reports that the resignation was conveyed in a letter dated August 3, 2026, and addressed to the Chairman of the NDC in Dakata Ward, Nassarawa Local Government Area of Kano State.
In the letter, Hanga said his resignation took immediate effect from Monday, August 3, explaining that the decision followed “careful reflection and personal deliberation.”
He stated that he had decided to withdraw his membership from the party to pursue “other personal commitments and career paths.”
The senator expressed appreciation to the ward leadership, the Ward Executive Committee and members of the party for the opportunities, support and fellowship he enjoyed during his time in the NDC.
“I cherish the relationships built and the experiences shared during our political activities together,” he wrote.
Hanga also requested that his name be removed from the party’s membership register at the ward level and said he had attached his official NDC membership card to the resignation letter.
He wished the party and its members success in their future endeavours.
Meanwhile, the senator’s son, Samir Rufa’i Sani Hanga, shared the resignation letter on his Facebook page on Monday with a brief comment in Hausa.
“Cin amana ya kori Baba daga tafiyar da ya runguma bisa amana,” he wrote.
The statement, which translates roughly as “Betrayal has forced my father out of the political journey he embraced in good faith,” appeared to suggest that issues of trust and loyalty influenced the senator’s decision, although Hanga himself did not cite betrayal as the reason for his resignation in the letter.
KANO FOCUS reports that the senator has yet to announce his next political move or indicate whether he intends to join another political party.
