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NIGERIA: ISLAMIC MILITIA FUNDED BY KANO GOVERNMENT February 10, 2006
Nigeria: Islamic militia funded by Kano government
Kizza Harajah
(SomaliNet) Government officials from Kano, a state in Northern Nigera has been accusing of funding islamic militants in northern Nigeria. This was revealed by Nigeria's information minister, Frank Nweke who claims that the officials get foreign funding the militants under Hisbah group.
This comes a day after the arrest of Hisbah's top officials. Nigerian police has also banned the group. However, governor Ibrahim Shekarau from Northern Nigeria, Kanu in particular, says that the the police's activities will not be accepted in Nigeria.
Sharia law began to be applied in Northern Nigeria in 2000. It does not allow the taking of alcohol. Men and women also do not use the same means of transport unless they are not legible for a marriage arrangement amongst themselves.
It has been asserted that Hisbah is more of a political organisation than meant to enforce shariah law in Northern Nigeria. "The Kano State Hisbah Board has, with brazen disregard for the overriding imperatives of national security, sought the assistance of foreign governments for the training of '100 jihadists' in the areas of 'intelligence' and 'practice of jihad'," Mr Nweke sad. However, Hisbah and other members of Northern Nigeria do not agree with this."It is a blunder for anybody to interpret Hisbah as an independent terrorist group... We will pursue all constitutional means to assert our right on this issue," the AFP agency quotes.
Hisbah is not only active in Kano but also in Zamfara. It is claimed that it is in these areas that they get state backing.