The head of Hisbah in Kano State, Aminu Daurawa, has finally revealed why the operatives of the Sharia police did not storm the venue of the wedding events of Fatima Ajimobi, the daughter of the state governor, Abdullahi Ganduje.
In a lavish ceremony and display of wealth, Mr Ganduje gave the hand of his daughter in marriage to Idris Ajimobi, the son of Oyo State governor, Abiola Ajimobi on March 3 in Kano.
The ceremony, which was attended by President Muhammadu Buhari, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, governors and APC national leader, Bola Tinubu, has drawn widespread criticisms for its elaborate nature.
Hisbah, which bans open entertainment, mingling between men and women and use of musical instruments during marriage ceremonies in the state, was severely criticised for allowing Mr Ganduje daughter’s events to hold without disruption.
On March 11, Mr Daurawa speaks on the matter on his Facebook page, listing the places he had been to last week to buttress a point that he was out of town when the governor’s daughter’s events took place.
But Mr Daurawa elaborated on the issue on Friday at Ansarissunah Mosque in Fagge area of Kano, saying he delayed his reaction to the matter in reverence to his teacher’s advice not to speak.
“You put me in dilemma. If I didn’t speak, people will say I tolerated a wrongdoing. What do I do? Should I totaly condemn the issue or keep silence? Which is better?
“If I keep mum, those who have previously heard me rising against evils will question why I am silent. On another hand, my widely respected teacher under whose tutelage I passed, had asked me not to talk.
“I was at crossroads. So I refused to go to Hisbah in order to avoid journalists who laid siege to my office.
“The journalists came looking for me in droves, saying ‘there was display of immorality at the wedding, sins were committed. They danced, sang and shook buttocks. Innalillahi wa inna ilaihirrajiun!
“Some said the Shariah is no more in Kano, and that we should stop asking the common man to avoid sinful acts.
“Somebody even said I refused to say the governor’s daughter had transgressed because of fear losing my job.
“But what is enjoyable in heading the Hisbah? Even yesterday, Christian Association of Nigeria hired over 10 lawyers against me for stopping apostasy in Kano.
“I was in government when I rose against its position, and criticised the establishment of film village. I was even called from the presidency, but I stood my ground. The same thing happened on the issue of marriage age. Previously we, as Ulama, rose against allocating plots for shops at Eid prayer ground but the government ignored us.”
Explaining the reasons why Hisbah did not disrupt Mrs Ajimobi’s events as they often do in the state, Mr Daurawa said Hisbah is just an agency of government, and therefore cannot go against it.
He also said Mrs Ajimobi’s wedding is not new to Kano as more than 100 households nowadays organise similar events during marriage ceremonies.
“We’ve been advising people to stop it but people devise ways of avoiding us. Our men cannot even go to some places as we will encounter soldiers with guns. And Hisbah is not Boko Haram.
“On many occasions I withdrew my men and left the matter to God whenever they met soldiers at the gate.
“How do you expect a Hisbah operative to push away soldier, police, SSS and arrest the governor’s daughter, governor’s wife or anybody else’s wife? Haba!
“How can we start fighting government? We can only offer an advice. But politicians only take advice when election approaches.
“Even if I were in town when the events took place, I will only leave the matter to God. The matter is beyond Hisbah. The law that established Hisbah never vested such power in us,” the Islamic cleric said.
