There was tension in Kano city on Friday as supporters of the ruling New Nigeria People’s Party and the All Progressives Congress vowed to go ahead with their planned protests today (Saturday) in defiance of warnings by the state police command.
The separate protests are for and against the Court of Appeal ruling, which affirmed the governorship election petitions tribunal’s judgment removing Governor Abba Yusuf of the NNPP.
The NNPP supporters are protesting against the judgment of the appellate court and the emergence of a conflicting written judgment that affirmed Yusuf as the duly elected governor, but the court later explained that the removal of the governor was valid as the conflicting written judgment was a clerical error.
On the other hand, supporters of the APC are insisting on their planned protest in support of the party’s governorship candidate, Dr Nasiru Gawuna.
The state police command, however, warned that it would not allow any unauthorised protest capable of snowballing into violence, adding that it would deal decisively with organisers of such and anyone caught fomenting trouble.
The warning was contained in a statement on Friday by the command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Abdullahi Haruna, on behalf of state Commissioner of Police, Mr Husaini Gumel.
The statement read in part, “Credible information at the command’s disposal revealed that some groups of people claiming to be political party supporters of both the NNPP and the APC are using various media platforms and mobilising people and planning to enter the streets on Saturday, 25th of November, 2023 to stage protests against the Kano State governorship Appeal Court’s verdict.
“The information further revealed that the intention of the protesters is to shut down the state and attack prominent political party opponents; an action which may likely result in violence.
”At this juncture, the police command is making it categorically clear that no formal notice was received from any of these political parties about the plan to conduct any protest or gathering.”
Haruna added, “The police command is issuing this warning to all residents of the state to be extra careful as whoever intends to conduct any protest or procession should do so only in accordance with the provisions of the law.
“Furthermore, the position of the law is very clear; whoever attempts to disrupt the peace in the state will be arrested and made to face the wrath of the law.
“You will all recall that before and after the Court of Appeal ruling, the leaderships of both the NNPP and the APC had attended a peace meeting and signed an accord among themselves before the Kano State Police Command where both buttressed their stand of working with the security agencies for the promotion of sustainable peace.
“In view of the above, the Commissioner of Police, Kano State Police Command, Mohammed Usaini Gumel, calls on all residents to maintain calmness and avoid any form of unlawful gathering, protest, or procession that may trigger violence as joint security forces have since been dispatched to strategic locations to safeguard peace and order throughout the state.”
Military on alert
The Commander of the 3rd Brigade, Kano, Nigerian Army, Brigadier General Jamiu Are, during a courtesy call to him by the leadership of the Kano State Correspondents’ Chapel, gave an assurance that the military would collaborate with the state police command to ensure peaceful co-existence in Kano State.
Are said, “Kano is the commercial nerve centre of the North, and we cannot compromise its security, as it will disrupt the economy of the region in particular and the country at large.
“Kano is not only central, but the nerve centre of all activities in the northern part of the country and the commercial nerve centre of the region. Whatever happens in Kano will spread to parts of the North.”
He pledged that the military would continue to collaborate with other security agencies in the state, like the Department of State Services, the police and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps to ensure that the security of lives and property was secured.
Are added, “We do not want anything to happen to Kano; that is why insecurity has been contained in Kano.
“This is possible because of so many factors, including the synergy among all the security agencies. Rest assured that all of us that are involved as security agencies are working as one in the way we work.”
