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Tag: Kano

  • Wife stabs husband in Kano

    Twenty-one-year-old wife, Fatima Musa, has allegedly stabbed her husband in the abdomen over a misunderstanding.

    The Bayero University Kano law student on Friday night at about 1.30a.m. at their home at Ungwar Mai Kalwa, Naibawa quarters in Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State reportedly stabbed her husband, Saheed Husaini, because she suspected him of communicating with some women on phone.

    According to a witness, it was the cry for help from the husband that woke some neighbors.

    On getting to their apartment, the witness said they saw the husband holding on to his stomach and bleeding profusely.

    Read Also: Wife stabs husband seven months after marriage

    Husaini, a staff of Federal University, Gusau, was later rushed to Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital by neighbours, where he is receiving treatment. But, he was still unconscious as at the time of filing this report.

    The Nation learnt that the seven months’ marriage had been embroiled in problem as Fatima had said on many occasions that she did not love her husband, but for the insistence of her mother.

    However, efforts to speak with the bride’s father at AKTH was not successful as he declined comment

    Kano Police Command spokesman Abdullahi Haruna, a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), confirmed that the bride has been arrested and transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

  • Malta Guinness fetes Muslim faithful in Ramadan

    As the Holy Month of Ramadan progresses, and in the spirit of giving, Malta Guinness is celebrating with Muslim faithful around the country.

    During this season of fasting, Malta Guinness will visit mosques in the cities of Abuja, Kano, Kaduna and Bauchi to share the non-alcoholic malt drink with Muslim faithful.

    The first of these visits held at the National Mosque, Shehu Shagari Mosque and Kubwa village central Mosque on the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th of May respectively.

    The Malta Guinness team joined Muslims in breaking the day’s fast, praying with faithfuls and donating a number of ablution kettles to the Mosques.

    Assistant Brand Manager for Malta Guinness, Ife Odedere noted that: “by celebrating Ramadan with Muslim faithful across the country, Malta Guinness is reaffirming its position as the non-alcoholic malt-brand that fuels the greatness of Nigerians everywhere, no matter where they are or what they do. These visits provide a platform to showcase the energy-giving attributes of Malta Guinness, which revitalises the bodies of Muslim faithful as they break their fast,”he said.

    In addition to these Mosque visits, Malta Guinness also supports a number of already existing TV and Radio Ramadan programmes that educate and inform Muslims on best practices during the holy month.

    Over the next few days, Malta Guinness will visit other mosques in Kaduna, Kano and Bauchi to spread the message of greater giving, this season of Ramadan.

  • Kano conducts mass wedding for 1,500 couples

    The Kano State Government yesterday conducted mass wedding for 1,500 couples

    The wedding prayer, which was conducted by the Chief Imam of Kano, Prof. Sani Zahradeen, was presided over by the Emir of Kano,  Muhammadu Sanusi II and Governor Abdullahi Ganduje at the Kano Central Mosque.

    Governor Ganduje said the state spent over N300 million in providing furniture and payment of Dowry for the groom’s.

    He said the gesture was targeted at alleviating the sufferings of the populace.

    Ganduje said the gesture was further aimed at reducing the problems associated with the high number of unmarried youths in the state.

    The governor urged the new couples to uphold the trust reposed in them by the state government.

    He also appealed to wealthy individuals to complement the efforts of the state government.

    Ganduje said the couples were selected and screened from each of the 44 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.

    “The beneficiaries were selected from each of the 44 LGAs of the state by the committee shouldered with the responsibilities of selecting and screening eligible beneficiaries,’’ he said.

    He noted that more than N300 million was spent by the state government to sponsor the weddings, including the provision of complete sets of beds, side mirrors, wardrobes and mattresses that would all be provided, to each couple.

    Ganduje said that the state government would pay N20,000 dowry for the couples and N10,000 as start-up capital to each bride.

    He said that medical tests, including HIV/AIDS test, were conducted on the couples in order to ascertain their genuine health status before the marriage.

    The Emir of Kano, Mohammad Sunusi II enjoined the couples to always respect the bond of marriage.

    He implored them to live a life full of love and happiness.

    The Emir said the emirate had constituted a committee of Ulama who have designed a married law, aimed at curtailing the challenge of frequent brake up of marriages.

    The Emir of Kano stated that the proposed family law would soon be submitted to the state government for the next line of action

    He commended the state government for the gesture.

    The Emir also decried the prevalence of obnoxious traditions, preventing some youths from getting married.

    He urged them to uphold the trust and confidences reposed in them and try and live in line with the Islamic injunctions.ý

    The Emir also urged the grooms to treat their wives kindly and ýreminded them that Islam forbade beating or abusing marriage partners.

    Musbahu Danjuma and Sabiu Abdullahi, who were among the new couples, hailed Ganduje’s gesture and promise to respect the marriage through adequate care of

  • Kano to get N4.5 agro commodity exchange

    A N4.5 billion Gezawa Commodity Exchange is to be established in Kano. A private sector driven initiative, the project is to be completed in two years.

    Conducting reporters round the site, the Project Consultant,  Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited, Mr. Binfa Binchang said it  was conceived in collaboration with some investors to provide a cost-effective platform for local farmers, buyers and sellers of agro commodities to transact business  in a seamless manner using  technology.

    He  said: “It  will comprise  an online trading platform, market information system for data dissemination, efficient clearing and settlement system, warehousing facilities, electronic warehouse receipt system, a grading and standardisation system, network of farmers cooperatives, aggregators, a legal and regulatory framework that guides transactions on the exchange.”

    “Nigeria is blessed with arable land; and agriculture is the primary means of livelihood for millions of households, especially in the rural communities, hence, we believe that developing the agro commodity sector through the establishment of this commodity exchange is essential for poverty alleviation and overall economic development of the country.”

    Binchang added: “Our ultimate goal is to unlock the vast potential of agricultural value chains through partnerships and synergy with like-minded enterprises, organisations and institutions throughout the world to mutually create wealth, generate local employment and contribute significantly to economic growth of Nigeria and the Gross Domestic Product(GDP).

    “This will further contribute to the foreign exchange earning capacity of Nigeria where over 5000 Nigerians will be employed as well as increasing the internally generated revenue  of Kano state and tremendously benefit its local farmers as well as increase their earnings.”

    The  Chairman of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Kano chapter, Alhaji Farouk Rabi’u Mudi, said the exchange  would be a relief to Kano farmers who before now sold their farm produce at give-away prices.

    According to him, “this is a welcome development because we have seriously been having problems with the local buyers that come to our farms to buy during harvest. This is so because they always come to buy at give-away prices, especially the Indians and the Chinese.

    “During the harvest, you find out that when a farmer sells at such price, he sells and get just the money that he invested. No profit. But this kind of structure that is put in place will help us a great deal because a farmer will now reap the fruit of his labour.”

  • Woman arrested for poisoning husband in Kano

    The Police Command in Kano state has arrested a 15-year-old housewife, Hassana Lawan, of Bechi Village, in Kumbotso Local Government Area (LGA) of the state for allegedly poisoning her 33-year-old husband, Sale Abubakar.

    The Command’s Public Relations’ Officer (PPRO), DSP Abdullahi Haruna, confirmed the arrest in a statement issued to newsmen in Kano on Tuesday.

    READ ALSO: Woman arrested for killing baby in Nasarawa

    Haruna said on April 16, at about 2 p.m., the command received a report that the suspect gave her husband (Abubakar) food with rat poison.

    He said the victim was taken to Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital Kano, for treatment.
    The PPRO said the command had commenced investigation into the matter and the suspect would be charged to court as soon as the investigations are completed.

  • Breaking: Train crushes two to death in Kano

    Two yet to be identified persons were on Tuesday crushed to death by a moving train in Kano.

    According to an eyewitness the incident happened at about 8:00 a.m along a rail line behind Kano Club in Nassarawa Local Government area of the city.

    Read Also: Fire razes building in Kano

    The eyewitness further said that the two unidentified persons were said to have laid down on the rail track.

    A statement by the Kano state Police Command Spokesman, DSP, Abdullahi Haruna said, “Tuesday at about 8:00hrs,report received by the Police, that two yet to be identified persons, who were laying on the rail track, were crushed by a moving train behind Kano club.

    “The Police’s visit showed that, one of the victims was cut into two parts. The bodies have been evacuated to the hospital.”

  • Fire razes building in Kano

    The Kano State Fire Service yesterday said fire had razed the last floor of a three-storey building at Sabon Gari in Fagge Local Government Area of Kano.

    Spokesman of the service, Alhaji Saidu Mohammed, who confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said the fire started at about 02:11 p.m. at No 83 Sarkin Yaki, Sabon Gari, Kano.

    “We received a distress call from Sabon Gari Market Division this afternoon (Saturday) from one Mr. Emeka at about 02:11 p.m. that there was a fire outbreak at a dwelling house.

    “Upon receiving the information, we quickly sent a fire vehicle to the scene at about 02:18 p.m., to bring the situation under control,’’ he said.

    He said the inferno affected three bedrooms and two kitchens in the residential building.

    In another development, the fire service spokesman said that another fire occurred around 12:52 p.m. at Rimin Kebe Gadar Katako in Nasarawa Local Government Area.

    “Out of the four rooms, only one room was slightly burnt with the quick intervention of the firemen,” Mohammed said.

    He added that the cause of the fire was still being investigated.

  • ‘Kano, Oyo, 13 others have over 10m out-of-school kids’

    The Federal Government (FG) has estimated that the country now has an estimate of 10,193,918 out of school children.

    This, it said, was due to insurgency, acute poverty, child labour, lack of political will, children with special needs and so on from Kano, Akwa Ibom, Katsina, Kaduna, Taraba and Sokoto.  Others are Yobe, Zamfara, Oyo, Benue, Jigawa, Ebonyi, Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.

    Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Arc. Sonny Echono, speaking on behalf of the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, stated that Nigeria had one of the highest numbers of out-of-school children in sub-Saharan Africa and perhaps in the world, ranked only second to Pakistan.

    Echono said this yesterday in Abuja at the 12th edition of the weekend ministerial press briefing.

    Read also: Three million out-of-school kids in Kano

    He added that the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), the World Bank (WB), United Nations International Children Education Fund (UNICEF) and other development partners are collaborating efforts to reduce the number of out-of-school children.

    He said: “For now, based on the recently conducted national personnel audit of both public and private schools, Nigeria has an estimated out-of-school children population of 10.193,918.

    “This administration also embarked on the school feeding programme in some states of the federation.  It is now clear that the programme has led to an unprecedented increase in school enrolment. I want to assure you that by the time we complete this year’s school census exercise, the number of out-of-school children would have dropped significantly.

    “The ministry in collaboration with the National Mass Adult and Non-Formal Education Commission has  developed a template to capture the children in these expanded centres.  This will also help reduce the number of out of school children.”

  • Boy drowns in stagnant pool in Kano

    A 14- year-old boy, Huzaifa Abdulrashid, has drowned while bathing in a stagnant pool called “Promise” at Gwarzo Road in Gwale Local Government Area of Kano State.

    The spokesman of the Kano State Fire Service, Mr Saidu Mohammed, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the incident happened on Friday morning when the deceased went to take his bath.

    “We received a distress call today from one Malam Habibu Ibrahim at about 07:35 a.m. that Abdulrashid’s body was found floating in the water.

    Read Also: House of Reps Speaker: Kano legislators endorse Gbajabiamila

    “On receiving the information, we quickly sent our rescue team to the scene at about 07:43 a.m.

    “Abdulrashid was found dead and his corpse was handed over to the Ward Head of Dandago, Alhaji Abubakar Sani,’’ he said.

    Mohammed advised the general public to be more careful when bathing in open water.

    NAN reports that there had been frequent deaths in open water through drowning since the commencement of the heat season in Kano over a month ago.

  • On APC’s near fall in Kano

    SIR: There was a huge sigh of relief in certain quarters of Kano when APC finally won the supplementary governorship election on March 23, after a rerun in 28 out of the state’s 44 Local Government Areas. Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje won the election to secure a second term after receiving a total of 1,033,659 votes, beating PDP’s Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf with a margin of 9,210 votes.

    On February 23, APC beat PDP in Kano, giving President Muhammadu Buhari over 2.4 million votes and winning all three Senate seats and 24 for the House of Representatives. It was a clear victory that was incontestable, and no complaint emanated from opposition parties. The governorship and state assembly elections on March 9 were however a different story. By whatever means, the PDP won some state assembly seats and gave the state governor a good run for his money. What could have accounted for this shocking result?

    Some observers however attributed PDP’s performance to absence of the Buhari factor. Others ascribed it to the dollar scandal that had rocked Governor Ganduje – thanks to his enemies. Yet others thought it was the political prowess of former governor Rabiu Kwankwaso. Buhari factor really played a significant role in APC’s victory in Kano. And after his victory many people didn’t care to vote again. The dollar videos indeed also affected Ganduje negatively. But if Kwankwaso’s popularity couldn’t help PDP in the first elections, how could it in the second?

    It really didn’t. Recall that PDP was forcefully taken over by the Kwankwasiyya apostle last year which he refashioned along a particular line of thought. Some followers of the group, which operates in a cult-like manner, are known to be political schemers who know how to win elections either fairly or otherwise. Some of these veteran schemers were allegedly unleashed to by all means win the elections for PDP on March 9.

    However, live coverage by FM stations exposed some of unwarranted behaviors of some politicians that day. As one of those who listened to the radio all day, we heard how women were mobilized and bribed with amounts ranging from a paltry N20 to N5000. How items like cooked rice and beans, a local snack called “awara,” sachets of pure water were distributed to induce voters. Some reports alleged several cases of multiple voting, as voter cards purchased from poor voters were issued in various centers to supporters of a particular party. The schemers allegedly connived with compromised INEC staff who allowed their supporters to vote repeatedly.

    We also heard how rowdiness was deliberately caused by youths who realized their party was losing, how they broke or snatched ballot boxes leading to cancellation of votes at some polling units. Vote buying was also so rampant and on a scale unprecedented in Kano history. Seeing what was happening and to earn money, some women were also reported to have declared their votes for sale and gathered in groups waiting for buyers.

    It was under this circumstance that PDP produced the good result. And if truth must be told both parties are suspected to have rigged the election, the first during the election proper and the other after realizing it was done for. In any case, hasn’t rigging become the normal way of winning elections in Nigeria today?

    So after realizing it was taken unawares and beaten by foul means, the other side decided to get even. After all, a desperate problem required a desperate solution. And a tit for a tat is a fair game any day. However, after seeing how grave the situation was, INEC opted to cancel results from several polling units. Thus Kano emerged among six states that had their elections declared inconclusive.

    Arguably, it was the best option that would ensure fair conclusion of the governorship election. Both parties were given another chance to prove their mettle in an atmosphere that was conducive. That APC finally won the rerun governorship election proved that it is the dominant party in the state. With all the 27 National Assembly seats and 27 out of 40 state House Assembly seats in its kitty, APC is definitely the majority party in Kano.

    It would therefore have been unfair and a situation that is prone to conflict if a minority party with only 13 members in the state assembly had won the governorship. This was a party that was deserted like a plague by virtually all its prominent stalwarts. They were people who could have used their influence in localities to make PDP win some seats genuinely.

     

    • Ado Umar Muhammad, Kano.