The Kano State Police Command has raised an alarm over intelligence reports suggesting potential terrorist attacks on public gatherings in the state.
However, Kano State Government has accused the Nigerian Police of raising a false alarm to disrupt the annual National Tijjaniyya Maulud, organized under the leadership of the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II.
In a press release issued on Friday, the Command urged residents to exercise caution, avoid crowded areas, and promptly report suspicious activities.
According to the statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, the intelligence report indicated that suspected terrorists might target strategic locations.
“We hereby urge residents to exercise caution and avoid crowded places and environments until further notice as a preventive measure to enable security operatives to identify and dislodge possible attackers,” Kiyawa stated.
The Command assured the public that it has taken proactive steps to forestall any attacks. “Necessary security arrangements have been put in place,” Kiyawa added.
“A team of experts from the Explosive Ordinance Disposal, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear units have been deployed to strategic locations and is on high alert.”
But addressing journalists at a press briefing held at the Emir’s Palace in Kano, the Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Comrade Ibrahim Abdu Waiya, condemned the actions of the security agencies, describing them as unnecessary and unjustified.
He expressed disappointment over the blockage of the venue by the police, emphasizing that Kano State has no record of insecurity that would warrant such a measure.
The commissioner accused the police of overstepping their bounds by obstructing access to Kofar Mata Stadium, a property owned by the Kano State Government. He called on the Federal Government to immediately withdraw the security personnel and allow the event to proceed unhindered.
“This religious activity is organized by a legitimate body recognized by law,” Waiya said. “We urge the Federal Government to ensure that the police vacate the venue. Kano has always been a beacon of peace and religious tolerance, and we will not allow any external force to disrupt this harmony.”
He further assured participants and visitors from within and outside Nigeria that the Maulud would hold as planned, urging them to remain calm and law-abiding.
The event is scheduled to take place on Saturday, January 25, 2025, at Kofar Mata Stadium.
