The Kano State Police Command has rolled out comprehensive security measures, including a total restriction of movement, to ensure a peaceful atmosphere during the re-run and by-elections scheduled for Saturday, August 16, 2025.
The movement ban will affect four local government areas — Ghari, Tsanyawa, Bagwai, and Shanono — and will be enforced from 12:00 midnight on Friday, August 15, until 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 16.
Police authorities explained that the restriction is a proactive step to prevent electoral malpractice, maintain law and order, and safeguard voters as they participate in the Ghari/Tsanyawa State Constituency re-run and the Bagwai/Shanono State Constituency by-election.
Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, stated in an official release that certain essential services will be exempted from the restriction. These include ambulances conveying patients, fire service vehicles responding to emergencies, official vehicles transporting electoral officers, and transportation used by accredited domestic or international election observers.
Beyond the movement restriction, the Command has also set out a list of conduct guidelines to maintain decorum at polling centres. The directives forbid non-voters and unauthorised agents from approaching polling units.
Political party symbols, campaign materials, or any form of political propaganda are banned at voting locations to prevent undue influence on voters. The carriage of firearms, knives, or any object that could be used as a weapon is strictly prohibited.
Furthermore, the police have outlawed loitering within and around polling stations, warning that anyone found lingering without a valid reason will be removed. Local security outfits, such as vigilante groups and officials of the Kano Road and Traffic Agency (KAROTA), will not be allowed to operate within polling unit boundaries to avoid interference with the official security arrangement.
Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, gave his assurance that the Kano Command, in collaboration with other security agencies, had deployed sufficient manpower and resources to cover all designated areas. He emphasized that every officer on duty had been instructed to act professionally, impartially, and in accordance with the law, without any political bias.
Bakori appealed to residents and political stakeholders to cooperate with law enforcement officers and abide by the guidelines, stressing that public compliance is critical to achieving a transparent, credible, and violence-free electoral process. He reiterated the police’s commitment to protecting both the sanctity of the vote and the safety of the electorate, urging all eligible voters to turn out in an orderly manner.