A Kano-based lawyer, Hadiza Nasir Ahmad, has raised concerns over what she describes as rising insecurity across parts of Kano State, calling on Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to take urgent and decisive steps to prevent further deterioration.
Ahmad, who is also a member of the APC Gawuna/Garo legal team, made her position known in a statement made available to Kano Times on Wednesday.
She said recent incidents in Shanono, Tsanyawa and neighbouring communities point to what she called “a frightening indication that Kano is sliding into insecurity,” claiming that residents now live under fear of frequent attacks.
The lawyer narrated the experience of a young Almajiri boy from Shanono whose family reportedly fled their home after repeated night invasions.
“I realised the terror is palpable. We are no longer safe. I always bragged that Kano could never fall like this — but look where we are now,” she said.
Ahmad said recent attacks in Biresawa and Tsundu in Tsanyawa Local Government Area, as well as recurring incidents in Shanono, raise questions about the state government’s handling of security.
She alleged that bandits often strike at night, between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m., “abducting women, rustling livestock and traumatising communities,” adding that in some cases, villagers alerted authorities before the attacks but got no response.
“The state government remains silent; state-owned media offers no guidance; and the Chief Security Officer of the state, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, has shown no visible leadership,” she said.
Ahmad, however, commended security agencies operating in the affected areas, saying, “The police and military are doing their best, but they are fighting a war without a general.”
She urged the governor to intensify collaboration with federal security agencies and strengthen community-level structures to boost intelligence and early response.
“Security is not a political game. It is a matter of life and death, and the current administration is failing its most fundamental duty,” she added.
Ahmad contrasted the situation with what she described as the “relative calm” recorded under former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, citing coordinated operations, the clearing of Falgore Forest and the use of CCTV cameras within the metropolis.
She said her recent visit to Falgore and Riruwai showed that residents still recall Ganduje’s security interventions.
Ahmad advised Governor Yusuf to consider consulting his predecessor, saying the security blueprint already exists but requires political will.
“Silence and inaction are a recipe for disaster, fostering a generation of desperate, unemployed youth who may turn to crime,” she said.
She called for measures including empowering community watch groups and consistent public communication on safety.
“Kano is more than a state; it is the heartbeat of Northern Nigeria. If Kano collapses, the entire region suffers,” she said.
“The time for urgent, united and decisive action is now. Kano is bleeding. The responsibility to stop it rests squarely on Governor Yusuf’s shoulders,” she added.