CSO Rejects Alleged Plan for Parallel Hisbah in Kano

A civil society organisation has sounded the alarm over reports that a former governor of Abdullahi Umar Ganduje is allegedly trying to establish a parallel religious police outfit in Kano State — a move the organisation says would amount to “a call for anarchy.”

The group, International Peace and Secure Society (IPSS), expressed concern that creating a private “Hisbah-style” force outside the state’s formal security apparatus risks undermining lawful governance and public order. IPSS noted that Kano already has a legally recognised Hisbah Board, stressing that establishing a second enforcement body would cause confusion, divide loyalty, and potentially trigger violence.

IPSS’s Director-General, Comrade Yahaya Yusuf, warned that mobilising dismissed personnel under a private security banner could fuel insecurity instead of containing it. He argued that only authorised government agencies — namely the state Hisbah Board, police, and other security services — should carry out law enforcement, and any independent attempt at policing is “dangerously shortsighted.”

With Nigeria already wrestling with banditry, extremism, and communal tensions, IPSS said Kano must avoid moves that deepen instability. They appealed to political actors and citizens alike to reject proposals that fall outside constitutional authority and to uphold the rule of law. Do you think the government should allow private-led security initiatives in high-risk areas — or should security remain strictly under the state? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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