Kano’s Streets Quiet as Residents Comply with 24-Hour Curfew

Kano State remained peaceful on Thursday as citizens of the historic city followed the government-imposed 24-hour curfew.

This comes after the Kano State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal declared the immediately-past Deputy Governor of the State, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, of the All Progressives Congress, as the winner of the state’s March 2023 governorship election and invalidated the election of the current state governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, of the New Nigeria People’s Party.

As part of efforts to uphold law and order in the state, the state’s police command announced on Wednesday that a strict 24-hour curfew would be enforced starting at 6 p.m. on September 20 and lasting until 6 p.m. on September 21.

Following the curfew, the city’s vehicular and pedestrian traffic has been constrained, according to a Punch reporter who observed the situation on Thursday.

Armed security personnel were stationed on major streets and in other strategic locations to ensure complete compliance since only vehicles carrying workers on special duty were permitted to travel to their respective places of employment.

Additionally, due to the 24-hour curfew, it was noted that all public buildings, including schools, markets, and other commercial spaces were closed.

Due to the curfew’s timing and the number of people it caught off guard, many residents were forced to resort to eating whatever food was available.

Residents from all walks of life who spoke out about the issue regretted the government’s choice to impose the curfew despite the difficulties people were already facing due to the current economic downturn.

One of the locals, who is also a water vendor, criticized the decision to impose the curfew because, in his opinion, many people must leave their homes every day to go to work before they can obtain the food they need to feed their families.

“You see, the curfew has forced people to stay inside, and most people these days have to go out and work before getting what to eat,” he said.

He expressed the hope that the government would lift the curfew today in order to spare the people further suffering.