The Kano State Hisbah Board has declared Auwal Sankara, the suspended Jigawa State Commissioner for Special Duties, wanted after he failed to appear before the board on Monday.
Sankara was suspended by Jigawa State Governor Umar Namadi, who also formed a five-member panel to investigate allegations of adultery against him.
Today (Tuesday), the Kano Upper Shari’a Court One at Kofar Kudu will begin hearing a criminal complaint against Sankara and Tasleem Baba Nabegu related to these adultery allegations. The court is presided over by Ustaz Ibrahim Sarki Yola.
Last Thursday, the Kano State Hisbah Board arrested Sankara in an incomplete building he owns on Lamido Crescent in Nassarawa GRA, where he was found with a married woman.
Sheikh Aminu Daurawa, the Commander General of the board, stated on Monday that Sankara was granted bail on the condition that he would appear before the command whenever requested.
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“However, despite being invited today, Sankara refused to comply,” Daurawa said.
He stated that Sankara’s failure to appear constituted a violation of his bail conditions, and added that the Hisbah Board would now initiate a search to locate and apprehend him.
“The reason we invited him today was for reconciliation,” Daurawa explained.
“The complainant agreed to reconcile with Sankara due to his two children. We agreed to this and invited him to come for the reconciliation.
“Had he appeared today, we would not have taken him to court tomorrow. As Hisbah members, Islam is our guidance, and it encourages reconciliation. However, by all indications, he doesn’t want reconciliation, so we will proceed with legal action,” he said.
Daurawa shared details about the challenges Hisbah personnel faced while working to arrest Sankara.
“Even though we arrested him together with someone’s wife, she even injured five Hisbah personnel with her car while trying to escape from us.
“We have videos and evidence of all this. I called him several times today, and he confirmed that he would come. But later, he switched off his phone. Now he is wanted, and our people will arrest him wherever they see him,” Daurawa added.
After the press conference, the complainant, Nasiru Bulama, explained that he agreed to pursue reconciliation because he has two sons with the woman and wanted to avoid embarrassing them.
However, he noted that since Sankara refused to participate in the reconciliation, they would now proceed to court.
“I want justice,” Bulama said.
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Bulama had filed a direct complaint with the court, alleging that Sankara and his wife, Tasleem—the mother of his two children—were involved in illicit affairs that violate Islamic law.
In a statement to reporters, the complainant’s counsel, Sa’idu Tudu Wada, represented by Haruna Magashi, explained that his client requested the court to direct law enforcement or another agency to investigate Sankara for allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with his wife, Tasleem.
“Our client is urging the court to investigate the relationship between his wife and the defendant over the alleged commission of crime for criminal prosecution or whatsoever,” Magashi said.
Sankara’s counsel, Shehu Suleiman, expressed that his client was taken aback to see on social media and in electronic media reports about his arrest by the Kano State Hisbah Board over allegations of having an illicit affair with Tasleem.
“It is important for journalists and the public to note that this a matter of ‘direct criminal complaint’ against our client, not a matter instituted by the Kano State Hisbah Board as per the records of the court and what we know, this is the direct criminal complaint against our client and the complainant’s wife,” Suleiman said.
The lawyer asserted that his client is innocent and eager to appear in court to clear his name.
On Monday, the court registrar informed the parties that the case is scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday), not Monday as previously reported.
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