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Opinion

Federation within a Federation:The Untold Story of Prof Na’Allah as Uniabuja Vice-Chancellor

Published

3 years ago

on

Professor Na'Allah

 

Hakeem Alohunmata

The 1914 amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates as one entity, called Nigeria, has repeatedly been described as a ”marriage of inconvenience” or simply put, a ”forced marriage”. To some people, even, it was a wedding without marriage. This is the position of the pessimists who see Nigeria as a failed project. How can it be a successful project when the couples are constantly in conflict like sworn enemies? A nation that graciously allows artificial divisions to becloud its sense of harnessing its cultural diversity and religious plurality for national development. A nation that allows faint lines of boundaries to blur its vision of tapping into the resources of its over 400 languages for tourism enterprise. A nation that allows mutual suspicion to daunt its passion for developing its human resources for skill exportation.

A nation that allows political affiliations to clog the wheel of its fortune, progress and prosperity. Pursuing the banality of a fictitious interest, the nation is found wanting in the loneliness of a multi-crore forest. The multitude of culture, plurality of ethnicity and diversity of religion, rather than being a blessing to the nation, seem like an irredeemable curse placed on a traitor in a local movie. Nepotism, sectionalism and corruption have eaten so deep into the system that it has spread like a wildfire to every sphere of our institutions.
University of Abuja, a federation within the federation, shares a similar experience. It is the only federal University in Nigeria that has all the thirty-six states of the country as its catchment in terms of staff recruitment and student admission.

It is an heterogeneous community, and a conglomerate of conflicting ethnic groups, diverse cultures and polarized religious affiliations. Like the bigger federation, the ethnic divisions and religious affiliation have, over the years, become a bane in the development of the university. The institution had badly been bitten by the bared fangs of nepotism. Past leaders of the university had tried, without much success, to free the University from the tightening claws of sentiment in order to chart a course for development of the University. However, lack of political will to suppress ethnic favoritism and religious bigotry whips the chord of incessant internal crises, underscored by monumental bickering and eventual down-tooling of labour unions within the university. Prolonged industrial actions, blatant disregard for academic calendar, admission and certificate racketeering, infrastructural deficit, poor staff and students welfare, and low-level of academic research output, top the chart of the numerous challenges bedeviling the institution. And this is no less the reason why the university was being derided and ridiculously referred to as a ‘glorified secondary school’.

This was the situation of Uniabuja, until the birth of a new regime spearheaded by an altruistic, patriotic and detribalized Nigerian – Prof. AbdulRasheed Na’Allah. Rather than succumbing to the seemingly insurmountable problems, which are as big as the mountains surrounding the campus itself, Prof. Na’Allah saw an opportunity in the ethnic and socio-cultural division of his staff. No sooner he was appointed as the Vice-Chancellor in 2019, than he coined a slogan – The University for National Unity – for the university. This slogan has come to stay as the University is now popularly known as UofA of Nigeria and the University for National Unity. The coinage of this slogan shows the readiness of Prof. Na’Allah, right from inception, to form a government of national unity by mobilizing staff, students and stakeholders regardless of their ethnic or religious affiliations to work with him on his mandate to bring an aggressive development to the University. The idea of University of Abuja as a university for National Unity becomes his watchword. It is at the fulcrum of his programmes and policies, and it was brought to bear even in the appointment of deans and directors into key positions in the University without sacrificing merit. His idea of national unity was reflected in the admission process. Having realized that some sections of the country had benefited too much for so long in the scheme of things including student admission, he reviewed the admission process to ensure that applicants from every state of the federation are admitted to the University without prejudice. Prof. NaAllah’s patriotism could also be noted in the staff recruitment exercise by standing firm on the principles of federal character. His belief in National Unity resonates in two critical centres he established: the Centre for Community Development and Centre for Stakeholders Mobilization. While the Centre for stakeholders mobilization is working hard to mobilize for support from people of different background and status from within and outside the University, the Centre for Community Development serves as a link between the ‘town and gown’. Through the Centre for Community Development, the host communities are deeply involved in the activities and programmes of the institution. They now feel more attached to the University like never before. The harmonious relationship between the host communities and the university made it possible for Prof. NaAllah to achieve the construction of perimeter fencing of the entire university land – a task no one believe was possible.

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Prof. Na’Allah’s zeal for infrastructural development is not known only to University of Abuja. As the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of Kwara State University, he started the university from zero infrastructure to a masterpiece, a world-class university with beautiful landscape, superb architectural edifice, good road networks, stable and quality academic delivery, a feat that made the then Kwara State Governor call on the House of Assembly to review the one-term tenure policy of a Vice-Chancellor, to allow him come back for another term of five years.

This also is an uncommon privilege earned by uncommon character and dedication to duties. The Executive Secretary of TETfund, Arch. Sunday Echono, visited the university recently. He could not but confirm the solid foundation laid by Prof. Na’Allah upon which KWASU today stands.
However, the great achievements he recorded at KWASU were not enough to reveal the patriotism in him as KWASU seems to be a small community with small political set up. The opportunity eventually came when he was called upon to serve his nation in the capacity of Vice-Chancellor of a Federal University- a university with conservative tradition that defies modernity; a university that takes solace in mediocrity and stagnancy; a university with galaxies of scholars working in isolation without collaborations; a university with a senate that is divided against itself across ethno-religious lines.
Managing such an institution was a huge task because the most difficult thing to accept is change. As a master strategist, Prof. Na’Allah, amidst stiff rejection, cheap blackmail and witch-hunting, was able to waddle through the muddy water to pave the way for the needed development in the University. Under his leadership, University of Abuja has regained its rightful position in the community of Universities in Nigeria. With his doggedness and administrative acumen, Prof. Na’Allah had, in no small measure, maintained the sanctity of academic calendar and improved academic standard of the University. With COVID-19 lockdown and the prolong ASUU strike that rocked the entire 2020 and early part of 2021, University of Abuja was one of the few, if not the only, universities that did not lose a single session. Prof. Na’Allah developed a robust virtual learning system that allowed students to take their classes while at home. Students now know the day they will graduate, the first day they are admitted into the University. This was largely made possible with the introduction of a portal system by Prof. NaAllah who is popularly known across the length and breadth of the campus as a digital Vice-Chancellor.

To the committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigeria Universities, Prof. NaAllah is known as an infrastructure Vice-Chancellor. He leaves no one in doubt of his capability by turning University of Abuja to a construction site. To him, the best welfare any staff can get is to have a conducive working environment. He then began on an aggressive mobilization for fund by blocking leakages, improving the university internally generated revenue (IGR) without unnecessary hike in school fees, rallying for financial supports from philanthropists, organizations and well meaning alumni of the University, and lobbying government and government agencies to invest in the infrastructure of the university. These endeavour yielded tremendous benefit as money raised are prudently plunged into building of faculties, befitting lecture theatres, state-of-the-art laboratories, world-class international conference centres, building of new hostels and renovation of existing ones, staff clubs, new staff quarters on campus, mini stadium, solar farms, computer laboratories across the campus, first-of-its-kind new senate building (ongoing), completion of the old senate building as well as all other abandoned projects (PG school, Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Sciences etc.) landscaping and street lighting of the entire campus, good road network, to mention a few.

This recent
transformation occasioned by a world class administrator, Prof, AbdulRasheed Naallah, opened up the University to both local and international collaborations. Government agencies, ministries, diplomats from various countries, international organizations, Universities from other African countries, Europe, China, Japan, North and South Korea, are now trooping to the University for partnership and exchanges. This gives the ever-expanding student population the opportunity for intercultural exchanges as some students of the university, that won Fukushima Prefecture Governor’s award were recently invited for a tour of Japan by the Japanese government; so also is the University receiving international students on exchange programme to its campus. The Chinese government is continuously supporting the University’s Engineering programme through provision of state-of-the-art equipment.

Prof. Na’Allah, in a grand style and in one scoop, did what no Vice-Chancellor in the history of Uniabuja had ever done by securing NUC approval to start twenty-six (26) new programmes including Aeronautic and Astronautic Engineering. He is a Vice-Chancellor of many first’s’: The first Vice-Chancellor to introduce students employment scheme to Nigerian education system, the first Vice-Chancellor to introduce Railway Engineering (awaiting NUC resource verrification result), Aeronautic and Astronautic Engineering (at KWASU) as undergraduate programmes and so on. Prof. NaAllah’s unmatched administrative experience in managing tertiary institutions had, without doubt, brought about a significant change not only to University of Abuja but also to the Nigerian higher education system as other Universities now tow the lines of a new direction he had painstakingly led.

Prof. NaAllah is a distinguished academic and astute administrator that only needs a bigger stage to turn around the fortune of Nigerian education system.

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Opinion

OPEN LETTER TO HIS EXCELLENCY, MR. PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU, GCFR PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA

Published

5 days ago

on

October 8, 2026

By

Senator Bola Ahamd Tinubu

 

 

KANO AT A CROSSROADS: AN URGENT CALL FOR IMMEDIATE PRESIDENTIAL INTERVENTION TO PREVENT CRISIS AND SOCIAL UPHEAVAL

Your Excellency,

The Kano Patriotic CSOs Coalition Forum (KPCF), a coalition committed to peace, good governance, human rights, democracy and the protection of Kano State’s long-standing tradition of peaceful coexistence, writes with deep concern over recent developments that have heightened political and social tensions in the ancient city of Kano.

Kano Is At a Crossroads
We believe that the situation requires urgent, impartial and preventive intervention by the Federal Government, before the current tensions develop into a wider crisis or social unrest

Kano is a politically active and socially diverse society. Its people have historically demonstrated resilience, tolerance and peaceful coexistence. However, the current political season, combined with the continous happenings surrounding the Kano Emirate, makes any inflammatory statement, actions with provocative tendency, or political confrontation, potentially and imminently dangerous.
Our Concern Over Inflammatory Statements
KPCF is deeply concerned about the statement attributed to Alhaji Aminu Babba Dan’agundi (Sarkin Dawaki Babba), which we consider unfortunate and particularly concerning at this sensitive period. Public statements by prominent traditional and community figures carry significant influence and should, therefore, be guided by the need to promote peace, unity, tolerance and social cohesion.
Similarly, a viral video circulating on social media allegedly showed Hon. Aminu Abdullahi Warkal, an NDC candidate for the Kano State House of Assembly representing Gwale Constituency, displaying what appeared to be a pump-action rifle during a political gathering or rally in the Janbulo area of Gwale.
We have also learnt that the Kano State Police Command subsequently invited him for questioning in connection with the alleged incident, reportedly citing possible violations of relevant firearms laws and concerns relating to public peace and security. These allegations remain matters for the appropriate authorities to establish in accordance with due process.
KPCF emphasizes that, regardless of political affiliation, social status, traditional position or personal differences, public figures, political actors, traditional institutions, religious leaders and community influencers have a shared responsibility to promote peaceful political participation and social cohesion. Language or conduct capable of generating fear, anger, hostility or confrontation should be avoided, particularly as political activities and campaigns intensify.
We therefore urge all political, traditional, religious and community leaders, as well as their supporters and followers, to exercise the highest level of restraint and responsibility. We call on all stakeholders to refrain from hate speech, inflammatory rhetoric, threats, incitement, intimidation or any statements and actions capable of provoking violence or mobilising citizens against one another.
KPCF further encourages political actors and other influential stakeholders to use their platforms to promote dialogue, tolerance, respect for opposing views and peaceful participation, recognising that political differences should never become a basis for violence or threats to the safety and dignity of citizens.
At this critical period, Kano State needs responsible leadership, restraint and constructive dialogue from all sides. We call on all stakeholders to put the peace, security and unity of Kano State above partisan interests and personal differences.
The Recent Durbar Incident
KPCF is also concerned about the reported incident surrounding the recent Durbar organised by the 15th Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, during which violence was reported and campaign posters and billboards bearing the identities of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, were reportedly destroyed by some people alleged to the supporters of the 15th Emir of Kano, Alh. Aminu Ado Bayero.

Although, we have acknowledged reports that Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero subsequently and personally apologised to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf over the incident. Though, such an apology is welcomes and it certainly represents an important gesture towards de-escalation of the already heated atmosphere.

However, an apology alone may not be sufficient to address the broader concerns arising from the incident. We respectfully urge the relevant authorities to establish the facts surrounding the incident and ensure that any person found to have committed an offence is dealt with in accordance with the law, irrespective of political, traditional or social status.

Political campaign materials are part of democratic expression. Their unlawful destruction, just like any other act of violence or intimidation, should not be allowed to become normalised.
The Kano Emirate Matter and the Rule of Law
Your Excellency, KPCF is particularly disturbed about the continuing politicisation of the Kano Emirate issue.

We respectfully recognise that matters concerning the Kano Emirate have generated strong emotions across the State and that aspects of the dispute have been subjected to judicial consideration, including proceedings before the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

In the interest of peace and respect for constitutional institutions, we appeal to political appointees and government officials at both Federal and Kano State levels to refrain from making inflammatory statement or taking partisan positions on matters before the courts.

The judiciary must be allowed to perform its constitutional responsibility without political pressure, intimidation or public mobilisation.

We therefore call on all stakeholders to allow the courts to determine the legal questions before them and to respect the outcome of the judicial process.

Our Appeal for Immediate Presidential Intervention
Your Excellency, KPCF respectfully believes that this is the time for preventive leadership rather than reactive intervention.

We therefore appeal to Your Excellency to:
1. Urgently intervene in the emerging situation in Kano State and encourage all parties to exercise maximum restraint.

2. Direct the relevant security and intelligence agencies to closely monitor developments and take preventive measures against violence, intimidation, hate speech and destruction of property.

3. Call on political appointees at both Federal and Kano State levels to refrain from unnecessary involvement in the Emirate dispute, particularly on matters that are before the courts.

Reaffirm the independence of the judiciary and encourage all parties to respect judicial proceedings and decisions concerning the Kano Emirate.

Direct that political parties, campaign organisations and their supporters be protected equally and that the destruction of political posters, billboards or campaign materials be investigated and addressed according to law.

Ensure that all persons responsible for violence, regardless of political or traditional affiliation, are held accountable under the law.

Encourage traditional, religious, political and community leaders to publicly commit themselves to peace and responsible communication throughout the political campaign period.

Facilitate an inclusive peace and stakeholders’ dialogue in Kano, involving the State Government, Federal Government representatives, traditional institutions, political parties, security agencies, religious leaders, youth and women representatives, and civil society organisations.

Urge political actors to focus their campaigns on issues of development and governance rather than personality traditional institutions or matters capable of dividing the people of Kano.

Kano Must Not Be Allowed to Slide into Crisis
Your Excellency, Kano is too important to Nigeria to be allowed to descend into avoidable confrontation

The ancient city of Kano is a major commercial, cultural, political and social centre whose stability has implications far beyond the State. A crisis in Kano would affect not only its citizens but also neighbouring states and the wider northern region.

KPCF therefore considers the present moment a critical early-warning stage. We believe that decisive and impartial intervention now can prevent a much more serious crisis later.

We appeal to Your Excellency, as President and Commander-in-Chief, to use the moral authority and constitutional powers of your office to send a clear message that peace, democratic participation, freedom of expression, respect for traditional institutions, protection of political rights and the rule of law must prevail over political rivalry.

We further urge all parties to sheathe their swords, avoid provocative statements and actions, and place the peace and stability of Kano above personal, political or institutional interests.

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Kano belongs to all its people. Its peace must not become a casualty of political competition or institutional disagreements.

The Kano Patriotic CSOs Coalition Forum remains committed to working with the Federal and State Governments, security agencies, traditional institutions, political parties and all stakeholders to promote peaceful coexistence, democratic participation and respect for the rule of law.

We respectfully call on Your Excellency to act now, before tension becomes crisis and crisis becomes conflict.

May peace continue to prevail in Kano State and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Yours faithfully,

Signed ,

Hassan Ibrahim Gama Mustapha Muhammed Chiroma Peter Hassan Tijjani
Convener Convener Convener

For and on behalf of the undersigned members of the Kano Patriotic CSOs Coalition Forum (KPCF):
S/N
Contact Person
Name of Organization

1
Hassan Ibrahim Gama.
Friend of the Community Organisation (FOCO)

2
Mustapha Muhammed Chiroma
Community Rights Initiative Of Nigeria (CORIN)

3
Peter Hassan Tijani
New Ethics for Empowerment and Development Initiative (NEEDIN)

4
Farouk Umar
Citizens for Development and Education (CDE)

5
Ibrahim Muhammad
Rural – Urban Slums Development Initiative (RUSDI)

6
Ruth Stephen
Touch and Care Foundation (TOCAF)

7
Maimuna Shuaibu
Muna Helping Hand Foundation (MHHF)

8
Amb. Lami Bako Yakasai
Enlightenment And Empowerment Of Northern Women Initiative

9
Abdulrahman Uba Daushe
Spinal Cord Injuries Association Of Nigeria (SCIAN)

10
Ahmad Tijjani
Alkali Ahmad Center For Development

11
Sunusi Hashimu
Society For Child Support And Economic Empowerment (SOCSEE)

12
Hassan Musa Yaro
Cardinal Aid Development Support Initiative

13
Nworisa Michael
Stand For Peace Initiative

14
Aisha Ahmed Abdulkadir
Sustainable Dynamic and Human Development Initiative

15
Khadija A. Muhammad
Nana Aisha Development Initiative (NADI)

16
Halima Suleiman ESQ
Advocacy on Human Rights and Equal Opportunity (AHREO)

17
Dr. Kabir Hamisu Kura
Community Development Initiative

18
Halima Titi Bello
Women Gender Developers (WOGEND)

19
Rakiya Ladi Musa
Ansar Women Development

20
Amina Ali Alhassan
Be My Guide Development initiative.

21
Amb. Rabi Yusuf Gezawa MON
Center For Empowerment Of Older Persons And The Vulnerable (CEOPAV)

22
Comrade A.A Haruna Ayagi
International Human Rights Network IHRN-Nigeria

23
Tijjani Sarki
Human Rights Watch And Youths Empowerment Foundation, Nigeria.

24
Ola Taiwo
Mari-Care Foundation for Widows, Single Parents, Orphans and Vulnerable Children Nigeria. (MARI-CARE)

25
Solomon Samuel
Mercy Helpline Initiative

26
Sheriff Abubakar
Sheriff Orphanage and Charity home foundation (Sheriff foundation)

27
Salmanu Muhammed
WAZOBIA International Women and Children Foundation, Kano

28
Amb. Hadiza Abdullahi kishimi
Women’s Social and leadership Development initiative ( WSLDI )

29
Grace Musa
Standup for Women Society

30
Dr. Ramatu Garba
Support For Women And Teenage Children (SWATCH)

31
Amina Aliyu Dogarai
Women and orphans charity initiative

32
Surayya Ado Salisu
ABC Road Safety Project Initiative

33
Barr. Aisha Ali Tijjani
Sayyidatu Wal adfal Foundation (Women and Children Foundation)

34
Murjanatu G. Umar
Women Empowerment, Leadership, Education, Advancement And Development Initiative (WE-LEAD)

35
Amb. Maryam Hassan
League for Societal Protection Against Drugs Abuse (LESPADA)

36
Wali Ado Rano
Voice Of The Hopeful Enlightenment And Development Initiative (VOHEDI)

37
Saratu I. Maigida
Lifeline Initiative For Widows Empowerment And Economic Development (LIWEED)

38
Sagir Salihu Chedi
Voice And Accountability Platform (VAP)

39
Barr. Mustapha Idris
Human Right and Community Initiative

40
Gharzali Ibrahim Ungogo
Ummatee Centre For The Promotion Of Public Education, Accountability And Social Safety (UMMATEE-C4PASS)

41
Aisha Halliru
Halliru Memorial Youth Development And Empowerment Initiative (AYDI)

42
Mrs. Esther Abdulahi Kingsley
Inter-tribe Community Support Forum

43
Auwal Idris Dorayi
Center For Peace And Environmental Justice CEPEJ

44
Mariya Ishaka
Albino Cluster Association

45
Sani Shuaib Rogo
Rogo Concern Citizens

46
Abubakar Shuibu Maitumaki
Youth Awareness Foundation On Drug Abuse (YAFODA)

47
Dr. Mustapha Mukhatar
Danbatta Development Forum (DDF)

48
Musa Muhammad Khaila
Community Support for Social Accountability Initiative (COMSSI)

49
Haj. Habiba Mijinyawa
Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN) Kano

50
Abbas Abdullahi Yakasai CISSP, IPMA
One Kano Agenda

51
Comrade Ali Wali
Network for Environmental Safety and Society Development (NESSD)

52
Hadiza Bala Fagge
Women Widows And Orphans Development Initiative (WWODI)

53
Farida Ahmed Tahir
Mata Iyayen Al’umma Foundation

54
Bello Abdulkadir Yusuf
Karaye Community Development Association

55
Badiya Aliyu
Sustainable Dynamic Human Development Initaitive (SDHDI)

56
Ruqayya Bello
Women for Women Initiative

57
Sabo Bello Madaki
Kiru Community Development Association

58
Sunusi Mamuda Wudil
Wudil Association Cooperative

59
Zubaida Umar Gashash
Youths And Women Sustainable Development Initiative (YASDI)

60
Ibrahim H. Sale
Habib Community Education Initiative

61
Khadijah Ibrahim
Adolescents Girls, Children And Research Project – GCRP

62
Sumaila Namadi Ahmad
Yadfulde Kiru Local government Association & Dev.

63
Abdulaziz Habibu Bello
Yanoko Youth Development Association

64
Umar Ibrahim Umar
War Against Injustice

65
Maimuna Umar Sheriff
Centre for Gender Base Violence Advocacy

66
Kola Samuel Asaju
KAF Care Foundation

67
Ali Suleiman
Masses First International Organization –MFI

68
Muhammed Yusuf Gama
Global Youth and Women Support Initiative – GLOYWSI

69
Abubakar Shariff Jaddah
Society for Women and Child Health Initiative (SWACHI)

70
Abdussalam Haruna
New Turn for Youth Enthusiasm & Dev. (N-YED)

71
Dalhatu Jibrin Dalhatu
Karaye Initiative Forum

72
Mohammad Lawal Datti
Initiative for Health Rescue & Risk Reduction (IHRAR)

73
Amb Dr Abdulrahman Kitilly Hudu ( Phd)
Empowerment For Vulnerable Women And Children International (EVWACH International)

74
Fatima Umar
Albarka Women Development Association

75
Mahmud Hashimu
Community Health I Initiatives and society development – CHISOD

76
Suyudi Isa Jibril
Media Advocacy for Accountability Sustainable Initiative –

77
Lukman Dayyab
Public Health Promotion Initiative

78
Amb Maryam Ibrahim Sani
Nigerian Coalition on youth,peace and security Agenda,Kano.

79
Haj. Safiyya Salisu Abdul
Support Group For Good Governance Organisation (SG3)

80
Sagir Saidu
Gyarakayanka Development Association

81
Sani Muhammad.
Annur Health And Peace Community Development Initiative

82
Ahmad Tijjani Yau
Development Insight Hub

83
Comrade Garba Suleiman Marafa
WAZOBIA Conflict Resolution And Peace Advocacy Initiative (WACORPAI)

84
Dr. Auwalu Halilu
Non-Formal Development for Education and Health Initiatives (NDEHI)

85
Yahaya A. Yahaya
National Association Of Persons With Physical Disabilities Kano Chapter (NAPWPD)

86
Dr Abubakar Ibrahim Hassan
Community Education and Health Promotion Initiatives (CEHPI)

87
Hajiya Saadatu Hashim
Concerns Mothers Association of Kano

88
Aisha Shatima
Joint Action Campaign for development

89
Najib Nasir
Northern Youth Concerned

90
Dr. Tanimu Adam Ibrahim
Gwarzo Initiative Forum

91
Aminu Sa’ad
Consolidated Ajingi Development Association.

92
Umar Iliyasu Madobi
Madobi Youth Development Forum

93
Barrister. Badamasi
Kano First Forum

94
Salamatu Sulaiman Mustapha
Salmah Africa Rescue Initiative

95
Garba Musa
Save Girls Initiative

96
Murtala Muhd Rabiu
Hannu Dayawa Youth development Association Bachirawa

97
Maryam Muhammad
Indigent Youth Education And Care Foundation (IYECF)

98
Rakiya Abba Tahula
Interfaith Peace Foundation

99
Nafisa Muhammad Ado
Anniswan Women Health Initiative (AWOHI)

100
Mohammed Hussaini
Nigerian Democracy Working Group

 

CC:
– The National Security Adviser (NSA), Federal Republic of Nigeria
– The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Nigeria Police Force
– The Director-General, Department of State Services (DSS)
– The Director-General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA)
– The Commandant-General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC)
– The Commissioner of Police, Kano State Command
– The Director, State Security Services (SSS), Kano State
– The Kano State Commandant, NSCDC

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Opinion

Muhuyi Raided Our Area: Encomiums, Prayers and Solidarity Trail Operation

Published

2 weeks ago

on

October 3, 2026

By

Muhuyi Magaji

 

By Abba Anwar

A few days ago, Sheikh Salga Street, the stretch from Goron Dutse to Jakara, was a haven for Yandaba and drug addicts. They terrorized residents in broad daylight without fear, and at night, it was even worse. The Jakara Divisional Police did their best to curb the menace, but the challenge was beyond a single station.

The real game-changer came when the Inter-Agency Task Force Against Drug Abuse and Other Related Crimes, under the fearless Barrister Muhuyi Magaji Rimingado, stormed the area. It was a thorough, house-to-house operation that combed every nook and cranny.

This is my area. I was born and raised in Bakinruwa quarters, and I have friends across all the adjoining neighborhoods. When Barrister Rimingado led his men in a Rambo-style raid, calls started coming in. Many residents told me that this single operation alone has convinced every right-thinking person in the area to vote for the present administration under His Excellency, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, in the 2027 election.

Interestingly, a greater percentage of those I spoke to do not belong to the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress, APC. Yet they insisted that this intervention is the best thing that has happened to them in recent times. They promised to pay back with their votes in 2027.

Politics aside, when these criminal elements forced people to run for their lives, they did not ask whether you wereAPC, ADC or any other party. Several people were severely injured. Some were alleged to have lost their lives.

What made this raid more strategic and successful was how the Task Force worked hand-in-hand with traditional community leaders, the Masu Unguwa. These are leaders who know the suspects by name, who know their parents, their houses and their hideouts. That is why the operation succeeded.

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This is a smart application of community policing. Beyond intelligence from security agencies, bringing in community leaders was a vital, creative and strategic move by the Chairman of the Task Force.

The raid was not a one-day show. It continued up to yesterday. Coincidentally, there was a Maulud gathering on the road between Durumin Kaigama and Yar Kasuwa. I learnt that immediately after the Maulud, a special prayer session was held. They prayed for Governor Yusuf to secure another term, and they prayed for Allah’s protection and guidance for Barrister Rimingado and his dedicated team.

What the Task Force did was appreciated by thousands of residents. From what I gathered, some youth have even started organizing a movement to support Governor Yusuf’s re-election bid. The movement, I learnt, has nothing to do with party affiliation.

I was briefed that youth from all walks of life are involved – students, artisans, members of community-based organizations, business people, women groups and civil servants.

What Barrister Rimingado did has opened the eyes of many apolitical people. These are hundreds of people who do not belong to any political party, but who have now resolved to do everything possible to ensure Governor Yusuf returns in 2027.

This vindicates what I wrote earlier, that politics aside, if properly handled, the activities of the Task Force could be one of the most fundamental efforts capable of giving APC more votes in Kano in all elections, especially the gubernatorial contest.

Alhamdulillah, rules of engagement were professionally adhered to during the raid. About 80 suspected criminals were arrested. Some fled out of the state, but I was reliably informed they will be trailed to wherever they hide. This is what we call patriotic commitment.

Let me use this platform to convey the thank-you message of our people to the Governor of Kano State and the Task Force under Barrister Rimingado for this timely intervention and show of concern and seriousness.

One Malam Ahmad Dahawi, who leads an umbrella body of community associations in the area with thousands of members, confirmed that peace has now returned to the affected areas. He assured that although their umbrella body comprises people across different political parties, they have resolved to support Governor Yusuf in 2027, while members are free to vote for whoever they like in other elections.

More grease to your elbow, the people’s Governor. More courage and fearlessness to Barrister Rimingado and his unwavering team. With this kind of teamwork and community support, the days of these criminals are numbered.

What is most interesting is the political will of the Governor and his unwavering support for cleansing our state of criminal activities.

I suggest other areas within the metropolis and rural communities, should copy from our people in supporting the operation of the all-important Task Force. It is for the good of all of us.

Anwar writes from Kano
Saturday, 3rd October, 2026

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Opinion

Muhuyi and the Fight for Kano’s Future-Ismail Auwal

Published

2 weeks ago

on

October 1, 2026

By

 

By Ismail Auwal

I knew Muhuyi Magaji Rimin Gado had capacity. His work at Kano’s Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission had established that much. But watching the pace of his present assignment, I have had to revise my expectations upward. I did not imagine he would bring this much energy to the task.
The operations have kept coming: arrests, investigations and court proceedings. Alongside them are plans for rehabilitation and skills training. What has emerged is a public official taking responsibility for an assignment whose consequences reach far beyond his office and into the homes and neighbourhoods of Kano.
Within 45 days, the task force reportedly conducted more than 200 raids and secured more than 200 convictions, with four mobile courts handling the cases. Those figures remain reported results. They nevertheless describe an early pace of enforcement that deserves attention, and the leadership sustaining it deserves recognition.
Consider the work behind an operation. Information arrives and must be assessed. Someone decides what requires investigation and brings the relevant agencies together. Officers are deployed, evidence is gathered and records are prepared. After an arrest, the responsibility continues through the preparation and handling of a case.
Maintaining that effort across repeated operations requires organisation and follow-through. This is where Muhuyi’s energy becomes significant. He has taken on a responsibility that demands sustained attention, and the accounts emerging from Kano suggest he is giving the assignment precisely that.
The arrests sit at the centre of this effort because they make government action visible. For residents who have reported suspected criminal activity, an operation can show that their information reached someone prepared to respond. It can begin to restore a connection between public complaints and public action.
That connection matters. When people believe a complaint will go nowhere, they may stop making it. They find ways to live around the problem, avoid certain places or carry their concerns privately. An institution that responds gives them a reason to participate again and demonstrates that their knowledge of their community has value.
Muhuyi’s task force has an opportunity to strengthen that relationship with every operation properly investigated and every case properly followed. His leadership deserves commendation for pursuing the work through institutions, bringing enforcement and court proceedings into the same understanding of public responsibility.
For Kano, the stakes are personal. A family dealing with harmful drug use may find its plans gradually displaced by the next crisis. Schooling is interrupted, money intended for other needs goes towards seeking help, and relationships come under strain. Parents try to understand what is happening while worrying about what might happen next.
These are the lives behind the assignment. A response that reaches them can change what they expect from government. It can provide somewhere to seek assistance and a reason to believe that the burden they have been carrying is receiving attention beyond the household.
That is why I have followed Muhuyi’s work with growing interest. The task force is addressing a problem whose effects can spread through generations. Protecting a young person’s opportunity to learn, work and contribute has consequences for an entire family. It also influences the kind of Kano that will emerge in the years ahead.
Muhuyi brings experience suited to these demands. At the Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, he worked where citizens’ grievances met the machinery of government. Complaints had to be received, records examined and investigations pursued. Public expectations had to be translated into administrative and legal action.
His contribution included work on the institution itself. In April 2025, the commission published an account of commendations from the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre. CISLAC recognised developments under his leadership, including an anticorruption strategy, operating guidelines for government institutions and offices across Kano’s 44 local government areas.
There is substance in that record. Extending an institution’s presence makes it easier for people to approach it. Establishing procedures gives staff a framework for handling complaints. Setting a strategy helps work continue across competing demands. These are foundations on which visible results depend.
For a resident seeking assistance, the difference can be practical: an office within reach, a process that can be understood and an official assigned to follow the matter. Such arrangements give public service a form people can use. Muhuyi’s experience developing them is an asset to his present responsibility.
The commission’s engagement with CISLAC also involved cooperation on asset tracking and recovery. That experience points to another quality relevant to the task force: understanding that institutions can accomplish more when they combine expertise and establish clear arrangements for working together.
Drug enforcement brings together responsibilities held by different bodies. Reporting on the task force’s maiden meeting described participation by the NDLEA, police, Department of State Services and other public institutions. Their involvement provides a basis for coordinated work, while leadership keeps that cooperation active after the meeting ends.
Information must move to those able to assess it. Evidence must reach those preparing proceedings. Responsibilities must be understood well enough to prevent a case from losing momentum between institutions. Muhuyi’s role is to help make these connections work, and the reported activity gives reason to recognise his commitment.
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf also deserves credit for establishing the platform and giving the assignment political backing. Placing an experienced official at its head was a consequential decision. Muhuyi’s response has given that decision operational meaning through the task force’s reported activities and developing partnerships.
The governor’s support and the chairman’s drive can reinforce each other. Public backing enables institutions to commit resources, while operational leadership directs those resources towards the work. Kano benefits when both remain focused on the people the assignment is meant to serve.
The effort has attracted recognition from other institutions. Reports of an August visit said the NDLEA’s Zone 5 Command named Muhuyi a War Against Drug Abuse ambassador, citing cooperation, awareness and community mobilisation. In September, the North-West Development Commission also commended the task force and expressed interest in collaboration.
Such recognition can open opportunities for assistance and shared expertise. It also encourages the personnel carrying out the work. Officers, investigators and administrative staff all contribute to the results associated with a chairman’s name. Their effort deserves recognition alongside the leadership coordinating it.
The ambition to help people rebuild their lives after enforcement is equally important. Muhuyi has reportedly outlined plans for skills training reaching 10,000 people, with a role envisaged for the Kiru Reformation Centre. That number is a proposed target, and its direction is encouraging: rehabilitation has a place in how he understands the assignment.
A young person returning home may need treatment, an opportunity to resume education or help acquiring a skill. The family may also need guidance. Recovery can involve a series of steps, each requiring someone to remain involved after the immediate crisis has passed.
Including rehabilitation recognises that public responsibility continues through those steps. It gives the campaign a purpose that families can understand: helping a person regain the ability to participate in everyday life. That ambition deserves support because its benefits can extend well beyond the individual receiving assistance.
A young person who resumes school recovers an opportunity to prepare for adulthood. Someone who acquires a useful skill has a basis for pursuing a livelihood. A household that receives help can begin making plans again. Through these changes, an intervention becomes an investment in Kano’s future.
The support of religious scholars, Friday mosque imams and Hisbah can strengthen this effort. These institutions have relationships with communities that government agencies can work alongside. Their participation can encourage discussion, prevention and assistance in places where families already seek guidance.
Muhuyi deserves credit for leading an assignment that is developing these connections. Public engagement helps build the cooperation on which sustained progress depends. Families need to know where to seek help, and communities need to understand how they can contribute to protecting young people.
The task force’s developing approach brings these responsibilities into the same conversation. Operations address suspected offences, court proceedings carry cases forward, rehabilitation plans look towards recovery, and community partnerships create opportunities for prevention and support. Together, they provide a basis for recognising the leadership behind the effort.
I have followed Muhuyi’s work with an existing appreciation of his capacity. What I now appreciate more fully is his willingness to apply it with urgency. He has brought energy to an assignment that requires people to keep showing up, keep coordinating and keep following the work. That commitment deserves commendation.
Kano’s future will be shaped partly by what happens to its young people today. Every opportunity preserved, every family assisted and every community able to obtain a response contributes to that future. Muhuyi has taken on a responsibility that reaches directly into those possibilities.
The arrests have made the effort visible, and his leadership is giving it momentum. With sustained support, the work can leave its strongest record in the lives of people who find a way forward: young people returning to education and employment, families receiving assistance and communities gaining confidence in the institutions serving them.

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