WHEN LEADERSHIP FAILED MORALLY: The Shameful Surety by Kano’s Transport Commissioner

  WHEN LEADERSHIP FAILED MORALLY: The Shameful Surety by Kano’s Transport Commissioner

By Tijjani Sarki

Good Governance and Public Policy Analyst

25th July 2025

In a time when Kano State is battling a storm of social decay fueled by drug abuse, we are faced with a painful and humiliating betrayal not from criminals lurking in the shadows, but from those we entrust with public office. The recent action by the Kano State Commissioner of Transport, Ibrahim Namadi, who stood as surety for a suspected drug kingpin, Suleiman Danwawu, is not only shameful, but a deep, dishonourable insult to the collective struggle of our people.

It is not an exaggeration to say this act has left many of us shocked, angry, and emotionally wounded. For a sitting commissioner to boldly step forward and stand as a guarantor for a man accused of trafficking hard drugs when every corner of Kano suffers the toxic consequences of such crimes is both disgraceful and deeply disturbing.

Let’s be clear,this is not about legality, but morality, honour, and leadership. The judge, in his wisdom, granted bail with stringent conditions to ensure fairness and due process. That is justice at work. But no one expected, nor should accept, a serving member of the Executive Council a custodian of public trust to be the one to meet those conditions for an alleged criminal of this magnitude.

Drug abuse in Kano is not a mere statistic,it is a living nightmare. It is the mother of all crimes, the engine behind thefts, rape, violence, and the destruction of young dreams. For every dose of codeine or tramadol peddled, a family is torn apart. A mother loses sleep. A father loses hope. And yet, a commissioner of this government chose to align himself, in public and in law, with a man accused of flooding our streets with these poisons.

This act is not just a misjudgment,it is a direct insult to the people of Kano, a disregard for public morality, and a shameful endorsement of the very crimes the government claims to fight. What message does this send to the youth? That the powerful protect the lawless? That those in government have the privilege to stand with drug barons while the ordinary citizen buries their child in silence?

Even more concerning is the silence from Mr. Namadi himself. At the time of filing this article, he has not offered a single word of explanation to the public. His arrogance is matched only by the audacity of his action.

Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf must act.

This is not the time for silence or backroom whispers. The governor must take swift and public action to reprimand Ibrahim Namadi and remind every member of his cabinet that holding office is not a license to compromise justice or public trust. We must recall how, not too long ago, a commissioner was removed from office for making alleged insinuations against the judiciary during the gubernatorial election crisis. How much more grievous, then, is this current case, where a commissioner actively aided a suspected criminal?

It is my firm view that Namadi’s action is far more outrageous and damaging to the image of this government than mere words spoken in political emotion. It is an act of association with alleged criminality an unacceptable betrayal of the oath of office.

Kano needs leaders who protect society, not shield criminals. We need men and women in office who understand the weight of their actions and the symbolism of their choices. We are fighting for the soul of our youth, and we cannot afford leaders who enable or assist those who profit from their destruction.

This moment must not pass without consequences.

The people are watching. The victims of drug abuse are watching. History is watching.