The Kano State Government has officially proscribed a group called Independent Hisbah Fisabilillahi, declaring its operations illegal and a danger to public safety.
Governor Abba Yusuf signed an executive order on December 8 banning the organization after intelligence reports indicated it was operating in violation of state laws governing religious enforcement agencies. The government accused the group of illegally recruiting, training and mobilizing young people without proper authorization, in breach of the Kano State Hisbah Board Law.
Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs Ibrahim Waiya told journalists that only the Kano State Hisbah Board has legal authority to coordinate Hisbah-related activities in the state, warning that any parallel structure presents serious security concerns.
“The emergence of a parallel group amounts to creating an unauthorised enforcement structure capable of undermining public peace and the statutory mandate of the Board,” Waiya said.
He stated that the executive order invalidates all activities of the banned group and emphasized that anyone impersonating the Hisbah Board through the use of uniforms, symbols or claims of authority will face sanctions. The order declares the group’s operations “unlawful, illegal and void,” according to the commissioner.
Waiya revealed that Governor Yusuf has instructed security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and others, to investigate the individuals behind the organization and take appropriate legal action to prevent any breakdown of law and order.
The commissioner warned residents against participating in or supporting the outlawed group, noting that association with it violates state law. He urged anyone already recruited by the organization to immediately disengage and report to the nearest security agency, Hisbah office or local government authority.
According to Waiya, the executive order specifies penalties for violators, including prosecution for unlawful assembly, impersonation and establishing unauthorized security formations. The order is effective immediately and will be officially published by the state government printer.
The ban comes amid rising tensions in Kano over alleged attempts to create parallel religious policing structures. On November 28, the state government called for the arrest of former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje over comments it claimed could undermine the state’s security operations.
Following a state executive council meeting, Waiya announced that cabinet members had discussed statements attributed to Ganduje and Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin regarding Kano’s susceptibility to banditry and a proposal to recruit 12,000 people for a religious policing outfit called Khairul Nas.
“The council deliberated extensively over the recent inflammatory statements made by a former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and the deputy senate president Barau Jibrin, who alleged that the state is vulnerable to banditry and further announced plans to recruit 12,000 individuals under a proposed religious police outfit named Khairul Nas,” the commissioner stated.
Civil society groups have also expressed concern about the developments. The International Peace and Secure Society described reports of efforts to establish a Hisbah-style body outside government control as “troubling and unacceptable,” particularly allegations linking Ganduje to such initiatives.
However, Ganduje rejected the accusations, calling the demand for his arrest “baseless” and “reckless.” The former APC national chairman said he has never been involved in violence or any action that could threaten peace in Kano State.
He accused the state government of “desperation” and “incompetence,” arguing that the administration’s statements represent “an abdication of responsibility by a leader who has failed to secure the lives and property of citizens.”
