The Kano State Government has strongly condemned an alleged attempt by the police to block the annual National Tijjaniyya Maulud, a religious event held for 39 years. The state’s Commissioner for Information, Ibrahim Waiya, dismissed the police’s warning that suspected terrorists were planning to target public gatherings in the state. He criticized the police for their actions, calling the blockade of the Maulud venue at Kofar Mata Stadium both unnecessary and unjustified, especially since there have been no reports of any security threat in the area.
Waiya reiterated Kano’s commitment to religious and cultural harmony and asserted that the Maulud would proceed as scheduled. He emphasized that the event, organized by a legitimate body, was a lawful religious assembly, and any attempt to obstruct it would violate citizens’ rights to peaceful assembly and religious practice.
Waiya also called on the federal government to withdraw security forces from the venue, stating that the stadium belonged to the state, and external interference was unwarranted. He reaffirmed that Kano has a long-standing tradition of peace and religious tolerance and would not tolerate any form of intimidation or interference in its affairs.
Despite the police’s warnings, the state government has vowed to ensure the Maulud continues without disruption.