The National Forum of Kano Indigene Lawyers has petitioned President Bola Tinubu and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu over the recruitment of a parallel Hisbah security outfit allegedly linked to former Kano governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

In the petition signed by National President Usman Imam Tudun Wazirichi and Secretary Rita Benedict, the lawyers warned that the creation of a private Hisbah structure poses a threat to Kano’s fragile religious and social balance.

They described the move as a politically motivated attempt to destabilise the state, arguing that security is a constitutional responsibility strictly reserved for government.

The forum said any security body operating outside state control risks enabling extremists and creating confusion, especially amid recent disturbances in parts of the state.

“We urge the President to intervene without delay. The life of a single Nigerian carries more weight than any political ambition,” the petition read.

Amid the controversy, Ganduje’s camp recently began issuing recruitment forms for a 12,000-member Independent Hisbah Fisabilillah, presented as a voluntary initiative under the Ganduje Foundation to employ persons allegedly sacked by the state Hisbah Board.

However, the lawyers insist the scheme violates Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution, stressing that security cannot be outsourced to private groups or political actors.

They warned that failure to act could lead them to alert international actors, including the United Nations and the Commonwealth, about the looming risks in Kano.