Kano Residents, Traders Panic as Deadly Gang Clashes Disrupt Daily Life, Businesses
- Fear has gripped residents of Kano as violent clashes among rival gangs, known locally as “Yan Daba,” continue to escalate, disrupting daily life and business activities
- Areas like Kofar Naisa, Sheka, Dorayi, and Kofar Dan-Agundi have become flashpoints for armed gang violence
- While the Kano police have apprehended several suspects, residents remain skeptical, alleging political protection for some gang leaders
Kano – Fear and tension have continued to grip Kano metropolis as a surge in inter-communal thuggery clashes disrupts daily life, leaving residents terrified and businesses vulnerable.
The recent violent confrontations between rival gangs, locally known as “Yan Daba’, have led to increased police raids, arrests, and calls for urgent government intervention.
Traffic is seen in the streets of the old city of Kano, the oldest city in West Africa.
Photo credit: Jean-Marc GibouxSource: Getty Images
Findings by TheTalk.NG reveal that in the past few months, areas like Kofar Naisa, Kofar Dan-Agundi, Sheka and Dorayi have become hotspots for bloody gang fights, with criminals wielding machetes, knives, and sometimes dangerous weapons.
Residents, traders speak
Market traders, commuters, and residents now live in fear, as daylight robberies and street battles grow more frequent.
“I can’t even send my children to school without worrying,” said Aisha Musa, a mother of five in Kofar Dan-Agundi.
“These thugs attack people even in broad daylight. The government and the police must act before we lose more lives,” she added.
Local businesses are also suffering. Mallam Ibrahim, a textile dealer in Kantin Kwari Market, lamented how extortion by hoodlums has forced some traders to close shops early when passing through this axis.
“They demand money from us, and if you refuse, they destroy your goods or beat you up, sometimes even injure you. That is why whenever I am passing through Dan-Agundi or Kofar Na’isa, I make sure to close very early,” he said.
Kamo police command speaks
The Kano state police command has intensified raids, arresting eight suspected thugs in connection with the development.
SP Abdullahi Haruna, the police spokesperson, on Saturday, April 12, confirmed in a broadcast that operations are ongoing to dismantle criminal networks in the state.
“We have arrested eight suspects in connection with the inter-communal clashes between thugs that happened at Kofar Naisa on Thursday, where many were injured.”
“We have not even received any report from those involved in the clash and who got injured in order to be taken to the hospital for medical attention,” he added.
The police also urged residents to report suspicious activities to help in restoring order while investigations continue to arrest remaining suspects.
Sellers are seen at their stores in Kurmi Market in Kano, Nigeria, on April 30, 2022.
Photo credit: Adam Abu-bashal/Anadolu AgencySource: Getty Images
Many gang leaders evade arrest
However, some residents doubt the effectiveness of these arrests, alleging that many gang leaders evade capture due to political connections.
Malam Sani Adamu, a community elder at Sheka quarters, said most gangsters get money through their political godfathers.
“Most of these gangsters are working for some of our politicians, and that is why even if they are arrested, they easily get bail,” he told TheTalk.NG.
“I also see it as a responsibility of the community. We have to wake up and fight this menace before it becomes more dangerous. It is already getting worse than it was,” he explained.
Galadima alleges plot to impose State of Emergency in Kano
In another report, a chieftain of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Buba Galadima, alleged that there was a grand design to set up the Kano government such that they could declare a state of emergency in the state.
In a video interview with Africa Independent Television (AIT), monitored by TheTalk.NG on Tuesday, April 8, Galadima stated that the powers that be want to detain Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, the reinstated Emir of Kano.
“Unknown to him (President Bola Tinubu), and I can beat my chest that he didn’t know that there was a grand design to set up the Kano state government, including the Emir, such that they could declare a state of emergency,” he claimed.
Source: TheTalk.NG
