The Kano Concerned Journalist Forum has warned that rising political tension in the state was worsening insecurity and distracting security agencies from critical work.
In a statement issued on Sunday and signed by its chair, A’isha Ahmad, the forum said it is “seriously concerned regarding the escalating political tension in Kano State,” describing the situation as a sign of “a deepening leadership crisis that is amplifying public anxiety, distracting security agencies, and endangering the lives of citizens.”
The unrest, the group noted, follows the Kano State Government’s call for the arrest of former governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje over alleged statements it believes have “exacerbated insecurity in the region,” an accusation also linked to the deputy senate president, Barau Jibrin.
According to the forum, recent remarks attributed to these political figures are believed by the state government to have contributed to “rising tension and increased criminal activities.”
It added that insecurity in the state “has escalated beyond mere political discourse, impacting rural communities which poses great threat to the urban cities of the state.”
KCJF urged political leaders to avoid utterances capable of worsening the situation, saying, “Political leaders at all levels must refrain from making statements that could incite fear, foster division, or undermine the efforts of security agencies.”
It added that, “the citizens of Kano require solutions, not verbal confrontations.”
The forum warned that the ongoing confrontation between political factions has shifted attention away from critical strategic reforms. “This leadership standoff is undermining community trust in government, hindering coordinated security planning, and overburdening local security institutions with political pressures,” the statement said. “Criminal groups are exploiting existing divisions.”
The group called for an immediate halt to inflammatory remarks by political actors and urged security agencies and community leaders to hold regular joint briefings to rebuild confidence.
It also stressed the need for enhanced intelligence gathering in rural and peri urban areas where “new threats are emerging.”
KCJF further appealed to political leaders, security personnel, stakeholders and the state government to adopt what it described as a unified security front. It proposed “a unified, region wide security framework, collaborative intelligence operations, joint border patrol initiatives and a common early warning system to identify threats before they escalate.”
The statement noted that fragmented approaches can no longer address cross border criminal operations, insisting that “the North West must act and speak with a unified voice.”
Reaffirming its solidarity with residents of the state, the forum said leaders must “prioritize the welfare of citizens over political interests and focus on restoring peace, unity, and long term stability.”
“When Kano sneezes the entire Northern Nigeria shivers,” the statement added.