Kano Government Condemns Deportation of Northerners from FCT
By Bala Salihu Dawakin Kudu, Democracy Newsline Newspaper
KANO – The Kano State Government has strongly condemned what it describes as the unjust and unconstitutional deportation of Nigerian citizens, particularly northerners, from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, to Kano and other northern states.
The state’s Commissioner for Women Affairs, Children and Disabled Persons, Hajiya Amina Sani-Abdullahi, made this known in a press statement issued to journalists on Thursday in Kano. She expressed deep concern over the growing trend of forced removals of individuals, many of whom are from Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, and Kaduna States.
According to her, the deportations—which have occurred repeatedly over the past four weeks—violate the constitutional rights of citizens to live and work in any part of the country, so long as they do not pose a threat to public peace or safety.
“The FCT is not the property of a single state or region; it is the common heritage of all Nigerians, and as such, a home for all,” the commissioner stated.
She added that the FCT Administration’s current approach contradicts the spirit of national unity and undermines the principle of equal citizenship enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“If certain individuals are found engaging in activities deemed undesirable, the humane and constitutional approach would be to introduce empowerment programmes, provide grants, or create rehabilitation and economic opportunities—not resort to forceful deportation,” she said.
Hajiya Sani-Abdullahi noted that Kano, as a cosmopolitan state, has long been a haven for Nigerians from diverse backgrounds, including from Rivers, Enugu, Lagos, and other regions, who live and work peacefully without fear of discrimination.
“This is the spirit of national brotherhood that strengthens our unity as a people,” she emphasized.
The commissioner further revealed that reports from some of the deportees suggest they were allegedly detained for more than ten days in overcrowded and harsh conditions, with minimal access to food and sanitation. She described such treatment as degrading, inhumane, and unacceptable in a democratic society governed by the rule of law.
“The government of Kano State, under the leadership of His Excellency, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, will not fold its arms while its citizens are subjected to humiliation and hardship,” she warned.
She therefore called on the FCT Administration to immediately halt what she termed as unconstitutional deportations and instead adopt more constructive and lawful methods of addressing social and economic challenges within the capital city.
“We urge the FCT authorities to reconsider their approach and embrace strategies that uphold the dignity and rights of all Nigerians, regardless of their state of origin,” the statement concluded.
The Kano State Government’s position has sparked renewed debate over internal migration, urban poverty, and the constitutional rights of citizens amid increasing tensions around the management of Nigeria’s capital city.
