A civil rights body has raised the alarm over a breakaway Hisbah group in Kano State, branding the self-styled “Hisba Independent Fisabilillahi” an unlawful vigilante outfit allegedly created by former officials to stir trouble. The Advocacy for Human Rights and Cultural Values for Development Initiative (AHRCVDI) issued the warning in Abuja on Tuesday, urging Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to shut the group down before it triggers violent street clashes.
AHRCVDI’s leader, Comrade Sambo Jibril Jada, did not mince words. “This action, reportedly spearheaded by former state officials, is a brazen and reckless attempt to create an illegal parallel security and moral policing architecture outside the constitutional and legal framework of Kano State,” he declared. He described the move as a direct affront to the elected government and a fast track to anarchy.
The group’s statement outlined three major areas of concern. First, it highlighted the severe threat to public order, arguing that two competing Hisbah bodies would mean dual chains of command, conflicting rules, and a high likelihood of violent clashes between enforcers on the streets. Second, it emphasized the blatant violation of the rule of law, noting that the new outfit was established without any enabling law from the Kano State House of Assembly or the governor’s assent, rendering it entirely illegal. Third, it raised the alarm over human rights risks, warning that untrained and unaccountable enforcers would lead to random arrests, intimidation, and a complete absence of due process for citizens.
Jada urgently called on Governor Yusuf to publicly declare the group outlawed and order its immediate dissolution. He also appealed to national security agencies, stating, “We call on the Nigerian Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), and all relevant security agencies in Kano State to swiftly intervene. They must stop the operationalisation of this group, arrest its promoters for questioning, and investigate the full motives and funding behind this destabilising project.”
He urged Kano residents to remain calm, recognize only the official Hisbah Commission, and ignore any recruitment drives or threats from the rogue squad. “Nobody is above the law,” Jada asserted. “Allowing this group to proceed sets a dangerous precedent that political figures can create personal militias, which is a direct threat to our democracy and the safety of every citizen.”
The AHRCVDI said it is monitoring the situation closely and is prepared to pursue legal action if security agencies fail to act. For now, Kano’s official Hisbah Commission, established under state law in 2003 to enforce Sharia provisions on morals, dress, and trade, remains the only legally recognized moral police in the state. Any other group operating under the Hisbah name, the rights body concluded, represents nothing but trouble in a uniform.