ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Kano chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has called for the immediate arrest of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) leader and 2023 presidential candidate, Rabi’u Kwankwaso, over his allegations that the Federal Government of Nigeria is breeding new Boko Haram terrorists in Kano.
Kano APC chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Abbas, accused Kwankwaso of making “malicious” claims and demanded that he provides evidence to support his allegations.
Abbas, who called for Kwankwaso’s arrest on Tuesday, told journalists that the party was in consultation with its legal team to institute a legal action against the former Kano Governor.
He added that his comments suggest a sinister motive to cause trouble in Kano.
He alleged that Kwankwaso has a history of recruiting youths to unleash terror on the state and has been a security threat to Kano and the nation.
The APC chairman claimed that Kwankwaso’s movement, Kwankwasiyya, is cult-like and has been accused of recruiting school dropouts to intimidate the public.
He also alleged that Kwankwaso and his associates threatened to kill election tribunal judges if the outcome was unfavorable to them.
READ ALSO: Kwankwaso’s Presidential Ambition A Mirage — APC Chieftain
Abbas further claimed that since the reinstatement of Muhammadu Sanusi II as emir of Kano, weapon-brandishing thugs have been recruited and stationed at the Emir’s Palace, posing a threat to residents.
“The embattled NNPP chieftain, who is visibly disturbed by the dismal performance of his protégé in the last year and is frustratingly longing for control of Kano politics, should be arrested by security agents to disclose who he claims is recruiting Boko Haram terrorists.
“We call on security agents, in the strongest terms, to arrest this man so that he can reveal the identity of those he referred to as ‘enemies of the state’ working with the federal government to recruit Boko Haram terrorists and insurgents,” he said.
The chairman noted that Kwankwaso’s comments suggested a sinister motive to cause trouble in Kano.
He said, “Kwankwaso has long been a security threat to Kano and the nation, given his antecedents. He leads a cult-like movement (Kwankwasiyya) and has been widely accused of recruiting youths, mostly school dropouts, to unleash terror on the people in the state.”
Kwankwaso had made the allegations while flagging off a road construction project of an 85-km rural road in his hometown of Madobi, which is being undertaken at a cost of N21 billion.
Kwankwaso had claimed that the Federal Government of Nigeria was attempting to create a new breed of Boko Haram terrorists and insurgents in Kano and Northern Nigeria, faulting the deployment of security personnel around the Nasarawa palace where Aminu Bayero is staying.
The APC chairman dismissed Kwankwaso’s claims as lies and propaganda, stating that no amount of threats or intimidation can deter the Federal Government from performing its duties.
The APC chairman’s call for Kwankwaso’s arrest comes amid rising tensions in Kano, with the APC and NNPP engaging in a war of words over the state’s political landscape.
The Nation