Ganduje and the continued detention of Mubarak Bala in Kano

Kano State Governor Alhaji Umar Abdullahi Ganduje is expected to be called in for his role in keeping Nigerian humanist Mubarak Bala in detention without trial. Bala has been detained without any formal charges or prosecution since April 28. And Governor Ganduje seems indifferent. He refused to intervene and order Bala’s release despite local and international appeals and a Federal High Court ruling in this regard. Gov Ganduje is the head of state security. It has a duty to guarantee the rights, safety and protection of people in Kano State. But he reneged on this duty in Bala’s case. Why?

Since being elected to rule Kano in 2015, Ganduje has made no secret of his Islamist intention and mission. He has intervened in numerous cases involving allegations of blasphemy or the persecution or kidnapping of Muslims. Ganduje has looked into cases involving Muslims in locations outside of Kano state, including the reported demolition of a mosque in Port Harcourt in 2019. In all of these cases, Ganduje intervened to defend the Islam as he understood it. He intervened to protect Muslims from prosecution and justice.

For example, Ganduje supported the conviction of Muslims in the Sufi order for blasphemy, while ensuring that Muslim blasphemy killers were acquitted and forced to break free from the scots. Ganduje supported the abusive, illegal and unconstitutional activities of the Islamic police, Hisbah, in Kano. In the name of enforcing Sharia law, Hishbah harassed and assaulted non-Muslims. Islamic police seized and destroyed goods from non-Muslim traders in Kano. When it comes to promoting Islam and defending the interests of Muslims, as he understood, Ganduje was open and active. Ganduje leaves no doubt that he is in charge in Kano State.

However, since April Ganduje has maintained a deafening silence on Bala’s case. In a meeting with some European diplomats last year, the governor feigned ignorance of Bala’s case. During this time, Bala had been detained for months in his state. By all indications, Ganduje is responsible for keeping Bala in detention and his government’s refusal to comply with an order of the Federal High Court that ordered Bala’s release. Ganduje did not need a court order to intervene in cases involving Muslims in Rivers and Anambra states. He did not need a court ruling to secure the acquittal of alleged Muslim murderers of a Christian woman in Kano in 2016. But in Bala’s case, a judgment was handed down but the Kano authorities refused to comply. The Kano police commissioner did not comply with the court order. He claims that Bala was no longer in their care. The state police chief gave the impression that the police were not responsible for Bala’s arrest. In addition, the attorney general and the commissioner of justice cannot cause the state to comply with a decision of the Federal High Court. Listen, even if the police refuse to obey the court order, isn’t it the attorney general’s duty to ensure compliance?

Now, if the police commissioner and the attorney general couldn’t execute the court order, why can’t Ganduje step in and make sure the court order is followed if he had no interest in it? the illegal detention of Bala? The male stops at Ganduje’s table. He should free Mubarak Bala now!