Gwarzo: Kano witnessing rising killings under Gov Yusuf

The governorship candidate of the opposition Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Kano State and former Deputy Governor of the state, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, has accused Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of failing in his responsibility to protect the lives and property of residents. Speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa, Gwarzo described the security situation in […]

The governorship candidate of the opposition Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Kano State and former Deputy Governor of the state, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, has accused Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of failing in his responsibility to protect the lives and property of residents.

Speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa, Gwarzo described the security situation in Kano as alarming, saying it had deteriorated more than any other time in recent history.

According to him, “In Tsanyawa Local Government Area, dozens of people were killed and their properties looted. Similar incidents have occurred in Shanono Local Government Area and are currently happening in Gwarzo Local Government Area. Criminals have repeatedly attacked communities, carted away people’s belongings, killed some residents and abducted others. Some of those kidnapped have remained in captivity for more than six months.”

He further alleged that even within metropolitan local government areas, many people had been killed in recent weeks.

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“Only God knows the number of people who have been killed in the last three weeks alone. There have been outright murders. Where is the peace? What happened to the promise that Kano would enjoy security if the state government aligned with the Federal Government?” he asked.

Gwarzo also referenced a recent incident that coincided with the swearing-in of the state’s deputy governor.

“On the very day the deputy governor was sworn in, five people were killed. We saw their parents weeping in distress, and we saw the corpses with our own eyes. Some later reported that another victim died, bringing the death toll to six. Where is the security? Where is the APC? Where is the Federal Government?” he queried.

The former deputy governor argued that the state’s security challenges worsened after the government introduced its “Kano First” initiative.

According to him, the slogan was borrowed from colonial-era political thinking and mirrored the “America First” policy popularised in the United States.

“The idea of ‘America First’ was about prioritising certain groups of Americans over others. So before imitating such a concept, people should examine what it actually achieved, even for Donald Trump who popularised it,” he said.

Gwarzo argued that the “Kano First” policy had failed to produce the security improvements promised by the government.

“When you come to Kano and ask what the slogan means, they tell you that Shekarau, Ganduje and Abba have come together, and because they are all now working with the APC-led Federal Government, Kano will enjoy peace and security. But in reality, since the launch of Kano First, insecurity in the state has worsened,” he alleged.

He said Governor Yusuf had assured residents that the initiative would bring peace and stability to Kano but claimed that the promise had not been fulfilled.

Gwarzo also maintained that even Trump, who popularised the “America First” slogan, was unable to achieve significant results through the policy, arguing that other leaders had contributed more to the development of the United States without adopting such an approach.