Kano State Government has issued a sweeping executive order banning the formation and operation of all unauthorized Hisbah-like groups in the state, with specific reference to a self-styled body known as the “Independent Hisbah Fisabilillahi.”
The order, titled “Kano State Government (Prohibition of the Independent Hisbah Fisabilillahi) Order 2025,” was signed by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and publicly announced by the Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Comrade Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, during a press briefing.
According to the Commissioner, the executive order derives its authority from Section 5(2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which vests executive powers in the governor, including the responsibility to maintain public order and enforce state laws.
Comrade Waiya stated that the government is deeply concerned about the emergence of individuals and groups that have been recruiting, mobilizing, and organizing people into a body described as the “Independent Hisbah Fisabilillahi” without lawful authority and in violation of Kano State laws.
He noted that such actions amount to the creation of parallel and unauthorised enforcement structures capable of disturbing public peace and undermining the statutory functions of the Kano State Hisbah Board.
The order unequivocally declares the formation of the Independent Hisbah Fisabilillahi unlawful and prohibits the group from operating or carrying out any activities within Kano State.
It further reinforces that the Kano State Hisbah Board remains the sole legally recognised institution authorised to coordinate Hisbah-related functions in the state.
Any impersonation of the Board’s authority, uniforms, symbols, or activities is strictly prohibited.
The Commissioner disclosed that the order directs relevant security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, to investigate the organisers and sponsors of the banned group, stop all related activities, and take lawful measures to prevent any breach of peace.
He warned that participation in, support for, or affiliation with the Independent Hisbah Fisabilillahi constitutes a violation of Kano State laws.
Individuals who have been recruited or approached for recruitment were urged to disengage immediately and report to the nearest security agency, Hisbah office, or local government authority.
Waiya added that violators of the order will face prosecution under applicable laws for offences such as unlawful assembly, impersonation of lawful authorities, and the establishment of unauthorized enforcement groups.
The term “Independent Hisbah Fisabilillahi,” he explained, broadly covers any group or body organized to perform Hisbah-like enforcement functions outside the statutory Hisbah Board.
The executive order takes immediate effect and is to be gazetted by the Kano State Government Printer. Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf signed the order on 8 December 2025, marking a decisive move to centralise religious enforcement under lawful authority and prevent the emergence of parallel vigilante structures in the state.
