Guber dispute: Police ask religious leaders to preach against violence in Kano

Hussaini Gumel, the Kano police commissioner, has urged religious leaders in the state to preach to their followers against violence. 

There have been pockets of violence in Kano after the tribunal and appellate court ruled against Abba Yusuf, governor of the state.

On November 17, the court of appeal in Abuja affirmed the verdict of the Kano state governorship election petition tribunal which sacked Yusuf, candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the last election.

Yusuf and his political party have since headed for the supreme court.

Speaking on Thursday during a meeting with leaders of the Tijjanniya, Qadiriya, Shiite, Izala sects and those of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the state, Gumel asked them not to relent in disseminating key messages that would ensure peace and order in the state.

“We will not relent in our efforts to deal with any persons or groups of people threatening the peaceful coexistence our state was known for,” NAN quoted Gumel as saying. 

“All forms of criminal activities will be curbed if the residents volunteer credible information to the police on any suspicious persons or acts in their environment.

“We will enhance community policing to enable residents to come forward with intelligence information that will aid us in apprehending criminal elements.

“Our primary role is to secure the lives and property of residents and we have set in motion security modalities that will deal with any form of security threats.”

Gumel also urged the religious leaders not to allow themselves to be used by anybody to disrupt the peace “especially when the state awaits the Supreme Court ruling and the forthcoming Christmas and New Year festive periods”.

He said the objective of the meeting was to urge the leaders to reach out to their followers to get credible intelligence information that could “aid the police in confronting any form of security threats in the state”.