Ordinarily, Sabon Gari, a multicultural neighbourhood in Kano State would have been a nation’s pride, but neglect by the government has turned a showpiece neighbourhood into a place where violent crimes have become commonplace. Ojo M. Maduekwe who recently visited the state writes


It was his first day in Kano and he was lost already. He had gone for a walk; his customary habit of absorbing a new location. The cabby that brought him from the airport had told him of a market just straight up the road that linked the street of his hotel, and he was eager to see it. Of course, it was this image of raw gold in Kano already formed in his head that made him eager to visit the market.

On his way back from the market, the landscape had changed and he missed his way. And after trying in vain to locate the hotel, he put a call through to the cabby for a direction. Struggling to pick a word from the cabby’s heavy Hausa accent, all he could grasp from him was ‘new’. With just that one word, he figured out in his mind what to do. He must tell the next person that comes his way that he’s new in Kano. Moments later, he approached a group of men seated beneath a tree and explained to them that he was new in Kano and couldn’t figure out where his hotel was located.
When asked for the name of the hotel, he gave them the only word he had. Then, the men said that the hotel with such name (New) had been demolished months back. But he was lucky; a little boy was among the men. The little boy interjected them to say the hotel has not been demolished. He volunteered a few information.
“I would have left my son to take you to the place but he is only a child and you are a stranger. Considering what’s happening in the North presently, I cannot trust you alone with him. I will join him to go and locate the hotel for you but you will pay our transportation on the return journey. Now, the only reason I am helping you is because you spoke Igbo,” the boys’ father said,

After a failed attempt with the first commercial tricycle driver, they found the hotel. As soon as he paid the fare, tipped the boy’s father and thanked him for his assistance, he turned to go inside the hotel. But he got a word of advice. “Be careful; as soon as it is 7pm do not step out of your hotel,” the boy’s father warned.
A few days later, Sabon Gari was on fire. A bus park located in New Road area of the neighbourhood had been bombed. Then, he remembered the warning he had received while in the neighbourhood the other day.

According to reports, the blast which occurred at about 3pm on Thursday July 24, 2014, was from a high capacity improvised explosive device (IED), hidden in a table-top fridge, concealed in bag, disguised as luggage and dropped off by two men masquerading as travellers. Security officials said one person was killed and more than five others were injured.

While in Kano, he had spoken to a couple of residents in Sabon Gari. One of them, Ismaila Sulaiman, had told him that the spate of bomb blast in Sabon Gari was underreported by the news media. “I can tell you that every day bomb blast occurs in Sabon Gari. The problem is that they are not always reported by journalists.”

Last year March, the same bus park in New Road, Sabon Gari, was attacked by terrorists. Reports were that more than 60 people were killed in that blast, involving five luxury buses. IEDs were alleged to have been kept inside one of the luxurious bus scheduled to leave Kano for Lagos. Eyewitness saw three buses on fire while the remaining two were ripped by the heavy explosion. There were stories of “flying and frying bodies.”
According to Sulaiman, in 2014 alone, there have been series of reported and unreported bomb blasts in Sabon Gari. Middle of May there was a bomb blast that was said to have occurred at about 9pm local time in a crowded entertainment spot in Sabon Gari, killing four people, including a young girl said to be about 12 years.
Witnesses claimed that a car was parked in the middle of the road while its driver left on a motorbike. The bomb blast happened soon afterwards. A Volkswagen Golf said by police to have been used by the bomber, was ripped into pieces. Windows on some of the two-storey buildings lining the street were said to have been smashed.
Known as the ‘Strangers Quarters’ or literally ‘New Town’ in Hausa language, Sabon-Gari in Kano is predominantly occupied by non-indigenes from the Southern part of Nigeria and who are majorly Christians. A visit to the town which is a part of the Fagge Local Government Area of the state would see that it appears Sabon Gari has been abandoned by the government.
Sabon-Gari is both a residential and commercial neighbourhood in Kano State, but it has no government presence. It has long been forgotten, completely with its residents. The residents complain that successive governments have failed to provide them basic necessities and that they suffer frequent attacks from invaders.

Yes, in Sabon Gari, every house and businesses provide their own water, power, while the roads and drainage system remain in dire need of repair. The abandoned nature of the road and drainage is such that the town floods when it rains.
The father who together with his son helped this reporter locate his hotel, said, “About 90 per cent, if not more, of the storey buildings you will find in Sabon Gari belongs to the Igbo’s. Most of the Yoruba’s who once lived here have sold their properties to the Igbo’s.” He said it was due to this that, “Governor Kwankwaso told the Igbo’s to go back to the East; that he would not develop Sabon Gari. That is why the place is like this.”
Sulaiman who is one of the remaining few locals in Sabon Gari said that, “I am from Kano state and to be frank with you, the government has abandoned those staying in Sabon Gari. For over three decades, there has been no development in Sabon Gari. The town is dirty, no light or water and that is not to mention the killings that go on almost every day.”
Edward, another person who wanted just his first name mentioned, rather thinks “The problem with the settlers of Sabon Gari in Kano State is that they have chosen to lock themselves within the area and have refused to visit the rest of Kano. If they do, they would realise that there are other parts of the state that are also very poor.” According to Edward, “Something you should understand is that in the life of any administration, there is only little that a government can do.”
When asked if he felt that the present administration under Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso was biased, Edward said: “Even though I refuse to accept that there is a government conspiracy to keep Sabon Gari underdeveloped, one thing I agree is that governor Kwankwaso is biased in his leadership. I will give you some instances.”
According to Edward, “During former governor Shekarau’s administration, he had a way of running an inclusive government and making sure that all the region and religion in Kano were treated fairly. There were non-indigenes working in the civil service and in the medical and teaching professions.” Edward claims that “Kwankwaso came in and dismantled it because of pressure from the Hausa majority in the state.”
“For the medical professionals, there are not enough indigenous doctors in Kano or the north as a whole. The few indigenous doctors naturally enjoy the benefit of pensions and gratuities but that does not apply to doctors who originated from other states, especially from the South.
“Now, during the time of Shekarau, to keep the doctors from the Southern part of the country, aside their salary, since they were not being paid pensions and gratuities, the governor started paying them 20 per cent of their basic salary every month. But since Kwankwaso came into government three and a half years ago, he has not paid the doctors the agreed 20 per cent basic salary every month.
“As we speak, most if not all the doctors from the South that are in the majority in the state are on the verge of leaving Kano. Some have left already. Funny thing is that this is the same governor that is rumoured to be having a presidential ambition. How can such a man who favours one religion and people above another want to rule Nigeria?”
On her part, Amaka Ezeigbo (also not real names) who is from Abia State said, “I do not know about the directive from Kwankwaso that the Igbo’s should leave Kano and go back to the East, but one thing I know is that once it is election year, you do not want to remain in Kano. Non-indigenes do not stay back in Kano during election year, except they want to be killed by the Northerners.”
When Edward was asked about what Ezeigbo said, he responded by saying, “I do not think that makes sense. There is a man that I know who invested millions of dollars in importing tires from China. Every three months he makes a turnover of about N150 million. Tell me if such a man would because of an election, abandon his business and run to the East?”
But according to Ezeigbo, “Which is more important; is it business, the money they make or their lives? Just visit Kano by next year and observe what I am telling you. Any Igbo man that is sensible and values his life knows that it is not wise to be in Kano during election.”

www.thisdaylive.com/articles/inside-kano-s-neglected-community/185278/

tomorrow some fools will recommend kwan kwan so as president


APC is evil

EMERITUS85: tomorrow some fools will recommend kwan kwan so as president


APC is evil

^^^I made a statement earlier on just how i view APC, and this post has vindicated me!

I can't stand that man!

Even Buhari is better than this Kwankwarikwati man.

EMERITUS85: tomorrow some fools will recommend kwan kwan so as president


APC is evil

Lol I Laff Which Party ruled Kano from 1999-2003? as for me PDP n APC na d same thing all Politicians are Thieves

I Just pity d Youths who waste their MB here on Nairaland defending them

LordMecuzy:


Lol I Laff Which Party ruled Kano from 1999-2003? as for me PDP n APC na d same thing all Politicians are Thieves

I Just pity d Youths who waste their MB here on Nairaland defending them

Discrimination is said to be worse during Kwankwaso era than any other in the state.

Eldavido1:

Discrimination is said to be worse during Kwankwaso era than any other in the state.

Yeaaa True Bro he started it as a PDP Governor in 1999

Kano is by far the scariest city in Nigeria

Been there once and stayed for only 3 days and have never gone back or ever intend to

You can literally smell and taste the tensive air

On her part, Amaka Ezeigbo (also not real names) who is from Abia State said, “I do not know about the directive from Kwankwaso that the Igbo’s should leave Kano and go back to the East, but one thing I know is that once it is election year, you do not want to remain in Kano. Non-indigenes do not stay back in Kano during election year, except they want to be killed by the Northerners.”

^^^After some fools will be telling me we're one happy indivisible country! See what someone living in Kano thinks of the place; just because she's a Christian and not Hausa/Fulani she cannot live peacefully in any part of 'ONE NIGERIA'!

Let it be known at this point in time that whatever will lead to the disintegration of this country would be started from and caused by the core northern muslims.....their cup is full!

I'm sick and tired of all this deception!!!

one 9ja,nigeria is dying,sea how them de treat the corpse,UWADIEGWU

LordMecuzy:


Lol I Laff Which Party ruled Kano from 1999-2003?

It was the PDP under the same Kwankwaso before he lost his re-election to Shekarau only to regain it in 2011.

Wait wait.....Can't you stay in you homeland? You people should thank Hausa and Yoruba who accomodated you on their land.

AbuMaryam1: Wait wait.....Can't you stay in you homeland? You people should thank Hausa and Yoruba who accomodated you on their land.

We will only stay in our homeland when our oil money stops flowing South West and Nut