By John Moses
The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has called for stiffer punishment for perpetrators of gender-based violence (GBV), urging authorities to prioritise legal and traditional interventions to curb the growing trend.
The Emir made the remarks while receiving a delegation from the Development Research and Project Centre (dRPC) and the Centre for Islamic Civilisation and Interfaith Dialogue (CICID), Bayero University Kano, during a courtesy visit supported by the Ford Foundation.
Highlighting the increasing number of GBV-related cases before Shari’a courts across the state, Sanusi described the situation as alarming, and said reform was urgent.
“I never believed in beating women,” Sanusi said. “Those who inflict violence on women under the guise of correction are not reformers but abusers. Islam dignifies and protects women far more than any other faith. To harm a woman is not only wrong – it is un-Islamic.”
Quoting Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the Emir said violence against women is unequivocally prohibited in Islam, and urged religious and traditional leaders to stop condoning or rationalising abuse in any form.
He warned that traditional rulers under his domain who are found guilty of abusing their wives would be stripped of their titles.
Sanusi also revealed that plans were underway to review the family law in Kano to tackle issues related to divorce, custody, and family structure, which, he noted, are increasingly contributing to cases of GBV.
Drawing from his academic research, the Emir said his doctoral thesis on the codification of Islamic family law revealed disturbing trends. “I studied nine Kano Shari’a courts over five years, and GBV cases were disturbingly common,” he added.
Earlier, Dr Taofeek Hussain, Director of CICID, appealed to the Emir to champion the implementation of the revised family law in the state and support efforts to train traditional title holders on their role in mitigating GBV.
He also noted that CICID had already trained Shari’a court judges and Islamic clerics on how to adjudicate GBV cases effectively and compassionately.
