The Kano State Hisbah Board has declared Auwal Sankara, the Jigawa State Commissioner for Special Duties, wanted for alleged adultery, intensifying a scandal that has gripped two northern Nigerian states.
Sankara was suspended by Governor Usman Namadi last weekend following his arrest by Hisbah operatives on charges of being romantically involved with a married woman in Kano State.
At a press conference on Monday, the Commander-General of the Kano Hisbah Board, Aminu Daurawa, revealed that Sankara was apprehended in an unfinished building, where he was allegedly caught with Tasleem Nabegu, a housewife and mother of two.
The arrest, Daurawa explained, was the result of a surveillance operation initiated after the board received multiple complaints from Nasiru Bulama, Nabegu’s husband.
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Bulama had raised concerns about the commissioner’s ongoing illicit relationship with his wife.
Daurawa stated that Hisbah initially sought an out-of-court resolution by summoning both families. However, while the husband honored the invitation, Sankara did not.
Instead, after being briefly bailed by Hisbah, the commissioner escaped from custody, prompting the board to take the matter to court. Hisbah has since declared him wanted and is collaborating with law enforcement to ensure his apprehension.
The case has attracted significant attention, with residents of Kano and Jigawa states closely following the developments.
Commander Daurawa used the opportunity to urge citizens to report any form of illicit activity within their communities, emphasizing the role of Hisbah in maintaining moral standards.
Nasiru Bulama, the woman’s husband, has called on the state government and other relevant authorities to ensure that justice is served, asserting that adultery is a serious crime that must be addressed.
This incident underscores the strict enforcement of Islamic law in northern Nigeria, where the Hisbah Board plays a key role in policing moral conduct. The legal proceedings will likely draw further scrutiny, as the board and the commissioner face off in court.