Kano on edge as bakery arson raises concern over escalating urban killings

Kano’s fragile security situation has come under renewed strain following coordinated attacks by hoodlums on several communities in Dala Local Government Area, barely days after the gruesome killing of a housewife and her six children in the metropolis.

The latest violence, which broke out late Tuesday night and continued into the early hours of Wednesday, saw thugs armed with makeshift weapons set fire to two local flour mills, several gurasa (local bread) bakeries and the residence of a ward head. Although no deaths were recorded during the Dala attacks, many residents sustained injuries and several small businesses were destroyed.

The affected neighbourhoods—Dala, Rijiya Biyu, Aikawa, Dukurawa, Shatsari, Kabawa and Kangiwa—are densely populated urban areas that have increasingly become flashpoints for thuggery, drug abuse and street violence.

The arson attacks came on the heels of last weekend’s shocking killing of a housewife and her six children, a tragedy that sent waves of fear and anger across Kano and heightened public anxiety over the safety of residents, particularly women and children, in their homes.

Eyewitnesses said the attackers, reportedly numbering in their hundreds, moved swiftly from one area to another, overwhelming residents before security operatives arrived. Normalcy was eventually restored after security forces, supported by vigilante groups, intervened and forced the assailants to flee.

One of the victims, Muhammad Adam, a bakery operator along Bala DPO Street in Dala, said his livelihood was wiped out within minutes. “They came suddenly with clubs and other crude weapons and set the bakery on fire. Everything was destroyed,” he said.

Read also: Police nab three, including victim’s nephew, over murder of woman, six children in Kano

Confirming the incident, Farouk Muhammad, the District Head of the area, told journalists that the attacks was unfortunate and a symptom of deeper social problems. He linked the violence to rising drug abuse and youth restiveness.

“The incident started from Rijiya Biyu and spread to other areas up to Dukurawa, where several gurasa bakeries were burnt,” he said, adding that a resident’s vehicle was vandalised and the ward head’s house in Rijiya Biyu was partially burnt.

The Kano State Fire Service said it responded to distress calls around 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday and was able to contain the fires, which involved large bundles of firewood used for bakery operations.

The incidents are unfolding amid a recent peace and reconciliation initiative by the Kano State Government with known thugs and street gangs, aimed at curbing urban violence. However, the killing of the woman and her six children, followed closely by the Dala attacks, has raised fresh doubts about the effectiveness of the approach.

Residents say the back-to-back incidents underscore a fragile and deteriorating security situation in Kano’s urban centres and are calling for urgent, coordinated action that goes beyond peace deals to ensure justice, accountability and the protection of lives and livelihoods in the state capital.

Meanwhile, the Kano State Civil Service Commission (CSC) has commenced the screening of personnel of the Neighbourhood Watch Security Agency recruited by the state government, as part of efforts to boost security in the state.

The screening exercise was launched by Ladidi Ibrahim Garko, chairperson of the commission, who said the process falls within the statutory responsibilities of the commission, including recruitment, promotion and the enhancement of the dignity of public servants.

She explained that the initiative aligns with the employment creation drive of the state government under Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, particularly at a time of heightened security concerns.

Ladidi urged the newly recruited personnel to discharge their duties diligently, adhere strictly to civil service rules and regulations, and avoid actions that contravene established procedures.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the commission, Sani Shehu Minjibir, briefed the personnel on the nature of government service, highlighting key rules and regulations guiding civil service operations and encouraging them to serve as good ambassadors wherever they are deployed.

In a separate remark, a commissioner in the commission, Mahmud Umar, commended the state government for the initiative, noting that the recruitment of Neighbourhood Watch personnel would help reduce security challenges across Kano State. Officials from internal security agencies were also present to observe the screening exercise.