Stop recruiting thugs, Kano politicians told

KANO — A Kano-based politician, Abdussalam Abdulkarim, popularly known as A. A. Zaura, has urged his fellow politicians to stop recruiting thugs and supplying them with drugs to foment unrest in the society.

Zaura, the 2023 Kano Central Senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), emphasized that if politicians cannot involve their own children in such activities, they should not exploit vulnerable children for political gains.

Speaking during a meeting with prominent religious leaders in Kano, Zaura stressed the crucial role religious leaders can play in curbing thuggery and drug abuse in the state. He called for an end to the practice, stating that if politicians genuinely wish to improve society, they must halt these harmful activities.

“I am a politician. In my years of politics, I have never encouraged such a thing—giving somebody any form of drugs to fight or go out. You can see the head of my political wing or marshal; even a cigarette, he does not smoke. And when you look at the people that follow me, you will see they are neat. Some of them are going to school; some of them are graduates,” Zaura said.

He questioned why other politicians could not emulate this approach, urging them to rethink their strategies:

“Why should another politician not emulate that? The people being recruited are somebody’s children. If you are doing politics for the betterment of the people, you must stop recruiting them to be thugs. You must stop giving them drugs to destroy their lives—unless you are doing it for other reasons.”

Zaura declared that ending the recruitment of thugs and the distribution of drugs is essential for achieving meaningful progress in Kano and Nigeria at large.

Zaura revealed that his team, which is working to rid the state of thuggery and drug addiction, has made substantial progress. Following a recent meeting with key figures from warring factions in Kano, about 6,000 thugs and drug users surrendered for rehabilitation.

He described the initiative as a collaborative effort involving various stakeholders, particularly religious leaders (Ulamas), who he believes play a pivotal role in changing mindsets and promoting peace.

Ulamas have a very important role to play in tackling this issue. They are the voice of the people; they are the voice of God, I would say. They have many ways of counselling people and talking to them. Don’t forget, one ulama or one imam can change a lot of people. So, they are part of this project. We need Ulamas to find a lasting solution to this menace,” he stated.

Zaura expressed optimism that with continuous cooperation from community leaders and religious figures, the fight against thuggery and drug abuse in Kano would achieve lasting success.