The Kano State Government has issued an executive order proscribing a group operating under the name “Independent Hisbah Fisabilillahi,” citing illegal recruitment and activities capable of undermining public peace.
The order, signed by Governor Abba Yusuf and dated December 8, 2025, said the government uncovered “ongoing recruitment, training and mobilisation of youths into the group without lawful authority and in violation of the Kano State Hisbah Board Law.”
Briefing journalists, the Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, said the Kano State Hisbah Board remains the only institution legally empowered to coordinate Hisbah-related duties in the state.
“The Hisbah Board is the only legally recognised body authorised to carry out Hisbah functions in Kano State,” Waiya said. “The emergence of this parallel group amounts to creating an unauthorised enforcement structure that is capable of undermining public peace and the statutory mandate of the Board.”
According to the executive order, the activities of the group are henceforth declared unlawful.
“It shall not be lawful for any person or group of persons to recruit, assemble, mobilise, train or deploy any person for the purposes of operating a parallel Hisbah or similar enforcement outfit in the state,” the order read.
Governor Yusuf further declared all activities of the group “unlawful, illegal and void,” warning that impersonation of the Hisbah Board through the use of uniforms, symbols or claimed authority would attract sanctions.
The governor directed security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), to investigate the promoters of the group and halt all recruitment and training activities.
“Security agencies are to take all necessary lawful measures to prevent a breakdown of law and order in the state,” the directive stated.
The government also warned members of the public that participation in, support for, or affiliation with the proscribed group constitutes a violation of state laws.
Individuals already recruited were advised to disengage immediately and report to the nearest security formation, Hisbah office, or local government authority.
The order outlines penalties for violators, including prosecution for unlawful assembly, impersonation of lawful authorities, and the establishment of unauthorised security formations.
The executive directive takes immediate effect and is to be gazetted by the Kano State Government Printer.
