RESIGNATION FROM THE OFFICE OF WAZIRI OF KATSINA

Serving as the Waziri of Katsina was by no means an easy task. As the Chief Adviser and a Senior Councillor in Katsina Emirate Council, the Waziri of Katsina, Professor Sani Abubakar Lugga had the gargantuan task of giving the right advice to His Royal Highness the Emir of Katsina. The late Emir of Katsina, of blessed memory, Alhaji Muhammadu Kabir Usman, had been very happy with the honest advises given to him by Waziri Sani Lugga. He was equally happy with the Waziri’s duties within and outside the Emirate. That was to the extent that two Senior Members of the Emirate Council complained through the Secretary of the Council as follows:

“The Emir is allowing the Waziri to handle too many roles, why not assign some to us?”

When the Secretary informed the Emir, the Emir said:

“Tell them to inform you of some of the roles being handled by the Waziri, which they can handle, and I will assign those roles to them”.

That ended the matter as they could not tell the Secretary or the Emir of any of those roles that they could handle effectively. Therefore the Waziri continued with his laudable roles up to the noble death of His Royal Highness, Emir Muhammadu Kabir Usman. His eldest son, His Royal Highness Alhaji Abdulmumini Kabir Usman ascended to the Throne in 2008. As stated earlier, at the early years of his emirship, His Royal Highness, the Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumini Kabir Usman CFR, has been assigning Waziri Sani Lugga numerous duties. The Waziri chairs the Emirate’s Finance and Establishment Committee and numerously represents the Emir within the Emirate, in the State and all over the Nation. The Waziri takes charge of religious matters at Emirate, State and National levels on behalf of the Emir and on his personal behalf. By the Grace of Allah (SWT) the Waziri has not failed his Emir and his people; and as such the Waziri gained the confidence of other Emirs and Chiefs from all over the Nigerian Nation. Indeed, Waziri Sani Lugga has always been grateful to Allah (SWT) for the numerous blessings showered on him by the Creator and Sustainer of all Creations in the Heavens and the Earth. The Waziri has been trying his best to do what is right and shun what is evil; and to migrate where he felt he cannot do anything to change wrongdoings. A classical case was when he resigned from the Office of the Katsina State Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport in 1994, after serving for only eleven months. He did that as he would not condone what he considered as too much bribery, corruption and injustice in government, which he could not positively change. Waziri Sani Abubakar Lugga continued to serve the new Emir diligently as he did to his late father; and continued to give faithful advices. The Waziri always has the following Qur’an and Hadith verses in his mind:

As the Waziri, Sani Abubakar Lugga relies on the following Qur’an injunction, where Prophet Musa (AS) prayed to Allah to grant him a Wazir (Helper): (Prophet Musa (Moses) prays to Allah): And appoint for me a Wazir (Helper) from my family. Harun (Aaron) my brother. Increase my strength with him. And let him share my task (of conveying Allah’s message and Prophethood). So that we will glorify You much. And Remember You much. Verily! You are over us, an ever Well-Seer. (Qur’an 20:29-45). Waziri Sani Abubakar Lugga considers his duties as the Waziri to be those divinely enthroned by Allah (SWT), therefore he vowed to uphold the virtues of positive advice and help to the Emir as Prophet Musa (AS) prayed for his brother Prophet Harun (AS).
As a human being, Waziri Sani Abubakar Lugga, relies on the very strong injunction by Allah (SWT) and the Hadith of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) that are incumbent upon all human beings. He therefore stands strongly in telling the truth to people in authorities and to people at whatever level of life. Allah (SWT) has commanded people to stand firm in inviting to what is good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is evil; Allah says in the Qur’an:

Let arise from among you a group of people inviting to what is good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is evil. They are the ones to attain felicity. (Qur’an 3:104).

Establish prayer, enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil, and endure patiently whatever befalls you. Verily! These are among the most important Commandments ordained by Allah. (Qur’an 31:17)

O You who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah; even though it may be against yourselves, or your parents, or your close relatives, be he rich or poor, Allah is a better protector to both (than you). So follow not the lusts of your hearts, lest you may avoid justice, and if you distort your witness or refuse to give it, verily, Allah is ever well acquainted with what you do. (Qur’an 4:135)

Prophet Muhammad (SAW) talks on what people should do when they see some wrong actions being or about being committed when he said:

Whoever amongst you sees evil being committed, he must change it with his Hands (i.e. use his authority); if he is incapable of doing so, then with his Tongue (i.e. to give advice); if he is incapable of doing so, then with his Heart (i.e. to hate it), and that is the weakest of Faith. (Reported in Sahih Muslim)

(Hadith Qudsi) Allah (SWT) says: Enjoin good and forbid evil before you supplicate Me and I will not answer you; and before you ask Me and I will not give you; and before you ask Me for help and I will not help you (Reported by Ahmad)

By Him (Allah) in Whose Hands my life is, you must enjoin good and forbid evil; or else Allah will certainly send His punishment to you. Then you will make supplication to Allah and He will not answer it. (Reported by At-Tirmithi)

Indeed, Waziri Sani Abubakar Lugga acknowledges that he is but only a human being who is definitely prone to making mistakes. He is also aware that no human being has absolute monopoly of knowledge, because that is an attribute of Allah alone! But the Waziri strives to offer honest advices to the Emir; and to those in authorities and even to the general people; within his capacity and within his knowledge of what Allah has ordained. However, from time to time, the advice Waziri Sani Abubakar Lugga gives would be bitter and unpalatable to swallow by the Emir and/or other Members of the Emirate Council. However, with full gratitude to Allah (SWT), Waziri Sani Abubakar Lugga has been trying, within his capacity, to uphold the injunctions of Allah (SWT) and the Hadith of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in the discharge of his worldly affairs.

There were several incidences that occurred between HRH Emir Abdulmumini Kabir Usman and Waziri Sani Abubakar Lugga, where the Waziri advised the Emir against some negative actions, but the Emir refused and uttered unprintable and derogatory words on the Waziri. Also, there were several pieces of advice the Waziri offered for positive actions, but they were refused by the Emir. In addition, there were many of such incidences between the Emir and several other people, including some Very Senior Members of the Emirate Council of National and International repute who stopped attending Palace Affairs as they should in order to save their honours and respects.

At this juncture, mention would be made of one very important incidence that stood out that had added to the disputes between the Emir and the Waziri. That was the issue of the “Shari’ah” at the Emir’s Palace. The Waziri noticed that the way it was being handled was firstly against the prescribed Islamic Laws and Norms and secondly against the Nigerian Laws. People, mostly local and unlettered ones, daily assemble at the Palace with their grievances; and the way things were being handled could be seen to be clearly bankrupt in knowledge and corrupt in action. As at that time, the Members of the Emirate Council who attend daily Palace Affairs were made up of Members who were not versed in either the Shari’ah or the Nigerian Common Law, therefore they had no locus standing to claim to be executing “Shari’ah”. In addition, the Palaces of Emirs and Chiefs in Nigeria have since 1967 been stripped of the powers to execute Shari’ah in whatever way. Those powers were legally transferred to the Courts of Law that had Competent Jurisdiction in Nigeria. It was also glaringly clear that some Members involved in the exercise on behalf of the Emirate Council were being biased or even directly corrupt.

Professor Sani Abubakar Lugga, as the Waziri of Katsina, felt obliged to intervene on the “Shari’ah” issue and to advise the Emir in Council accordingly. Therefore, he one day carried with him to the Emir’s Palace several Islamic Books like the Glorious Qur’an; the three major Authentic Hadith Books of Bukhari, Muslim and Tirmidhi; the Muwatta of Imam Malik; the major Muslim Shari’ah Books like the famous Tuhfatul Hukkam that was written since 1417 AD; the Nigerian Constitution and some other Shari’ah and Nigerian Common Law Books. The Waziri waited for the Council to conduct two of what they called “cases” and then he asked the Emir for permission to dialogue with the Council Members and a Council Staff being referred to as the “Chief Judge”, while the Palace Guards, all other Palace Officers and persons with “cases” were to be excused. Permission was granted by the Emir and a dialogue like this followed:

WAZIRI: Your Royal Highness, I have come to advice that we have no powers or rights to be executing what we call “Shari’ah Cases” as none of us is versed in either the Muslim Law or the Nigerian Common Law. Also, the Nigerian Law has barred us from doing so since the 1967 Reforms. We are, as Traditional Rulers, only capable of listening to our complainants and intervening, which is called “Sulhu” or “Sasantawa” in Hausa; with a view to ensuring the resolution of disputes between our citizens. Your Royal Highness, we were all old enough to have witnessed the conduct of the Shari’ah during the reign of Emir Sir Usman Nagogo who had three Shari’ah Judges on his Council; and we all witnessed that the late Emir Muhammadu Kabir Usman never instituted Shari’ah as he knew very well that his Council had no mandate to do so. You and I, Your Royal Highness, were Members of that Emir Muhammadu Kabir Usman Council who knew that we only dispensed of “Sulhu” and not “Shari’ah” matters or “cases”.

Your Royal Highness, I wish to advise here that, we should listen carefully and give fair hearing to both the complainants and those who are accused; and do one of three things: (1) resolve the disputes if they are resolvable; (2) send the persons to the Nigeria Police if the issues are related to the Police or (3) send the persons to the Courts if the issues are related to Shari’ah or Magistrates or High Courts. By so doing, we are helping not only the persons involved in the disputes but also helping the Police and the Judges who would not dare to be bribed as the Emir and his Council have now interests in the matters brought before them. Your Royal Highness, in these ways we would achieve our aims of resolving disputes thereby assisting our people, correcting the perceived ills of the Police and the Judges; and above all receiving the bounties of Allah (SWT) in this World and in the Hereafter. Otherwise, Your Royal Highness, we shall bear the consequences of carrying the burdens of people we “judged” in ignorance of the Shari’ah and be performing illegalities in the eyes of the Nigerian Law.

A MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL: With respects to the Waziri, Sir, what have we done against the Shari’ah that shall make us accountable to Allah?

WAZIRI: Good examples here are the two of what you called “cases” that you have dispensed of just now, which shall render you accountable to Allah. In the first “case” you handled, you forced a former husband to surrender the custody of his five children to the woman he had divorced arguing that women have custody of children in the Malikiyya Islamic Doctrine. But your ignorance that there were conditions to be followed in the cases of divorce allowed you to ignore those conditions. I hereby open the pages of the Muwatta Imam Malik on Divorce and Children Custody that you relied on to make your “judgement”. You can see from this great Book that the woman was not qualified by the provisions of the Shari’ah to be given the custody of those children. The former husband started to draw your attention to those provisions but you denied him the opportunity to conclude, which was wrong under the doctrine of fair hearing in Islam. I would like the Council to note the following according to the Shari’ah:

When a woman is divorced she can have the custody of the female children up to their getting married and the male children up to their puberty while the former husband shall handle the children’s upkeep as regards accommodation, feeding, etc.
However, the woman looses this privilege when she gets married to another man, or she leaves the town where the father of the children resides, or she is of bad character.

Your Royal Highness and Honourable Members of Council, you shall bear the brunt of the so called “case” you just “judged” where you forcefully handed the children to the woman who had got married to another man, who had taken her out of Katsina to Kaduna and who her former husband started to narrate that he divorced her because of her bad character. Abu Harairah (RLA) reported that, the Prophet (SAW) said:

“Whoever calls or leads to guidance or good deeds shall have reward similar to those who follow him and act on those good deeds without detracting from their rewards; and whoever calls or leads to misguidance or bad deeds will have sin upon him similar to those who follow him without detracting from their sins” (Source: Sahih Muslim).

In the above regards, the woman has lost all rights to the custody of the children; therefore the Council has no powers or reasons in Islam to give those children away to their mother who is not qualified to have their custody. In addition, if those children go astray, Council Members shall have sins upon them similar to those of the bad children. This “case” is among the major “cases” being handled at this Muslim Palace daily without regards to the provisions of Islam on them. Please be ware of piling the offences of misjudgement upon yourselves.

The second “case” that you have just handled involved homosexuality and your “judgement” of summoning the accused to be brought before you tomorrow runs contrary to the Shari’ah as you ignored the conditions set out by the same Shari’ah and you have ignored the fact that you have no powers to do so as you cannot handle matters pertaining to “Haddi” (stoning to death of a properly and judiciously condemned criminal). If the accused who you summoned to be before you tomorrow denies the accusation and the old man who brought the “case” to you could not bring four witnesses as required in Islam, can you order that the old man be given eighty strokes of the cane as prescribed in Islam? Or, assuming that the accused answers to the accusation; can you order that he be stoned to death? What you have done shall tarnish the image of the accused as the whole community shall accuse him of homosexuality because the Emir had summoned him on this. His children and grandchildren shall bear the brunt of a homosexual father and grandfather. And you, Council Members, shall have accumulated sins of all these misfortunes befalling the family of the accused!

Your Royal Highness and Honourable Members of Council, it is incumbent upon me as the Chief Adviser to Council, to warn that the way the Shari’ah is being handled in this Palace runs foul to Islamic Rules and is against the Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as the Shari’ah, the Alkali Courts and the Prisons have been taken away from Traditional Rulers since 1967! The major issues being brought before this Palace are issues that mainly border on the FAMILY, the LANDS and the COMMERCIAL matters. These are very sensitive matters where a slight mistake renders someone to sins that can only be forgiven by the affected person or persons. Therefore absolute care must be taken in handling them. Such issues include:

Family issues pertaining to marriage, divorce, child custody, etc. The way the Palace is handling them is absolutely against Islamic Law, Rules and Regulations. In Islam, only a competent Islamic Judge can adjudicate in such matters. Even in an Islamic State, Competent Judges are appointed by Rulers to handle such matters. There are thousands of instances on these since the time of the four Major Caliphs of Islam, particularly during Sayyidina Umar (RLA). The Kanem-Borno Caliphate Rulers appointed Judges since around 800 AD and the Sokoto Caliphate did the same thing in all its Emirates. Please let Katsina Emirate Council stop dabbling in these serious matters, but do “Sulhu” where the parties involved jointly agree or send them to an appropriate Court of Law.
One issue that the Council has been handling wrongly is on the issue of adultery and fornication. The Council has been confusing this with the human Law of “rape” against Allah’s divine Law of adultery. In addition, the Council has no powers whatsoever to handle such cases that border on “Haddi” (stoning to death of a condemned criminal).
Land issues are strictly for the Government and the appropriate Courts. The Council has been dabbling in them to the extent of ordering the sale of a person’s farmland or house. Selling of such properties in Islam follows some due processes like ensuring that the owner is not deprived of his and his family’s food and shelter. The Laws and rules here are very cumbersome that need a lot of knowledge.
On Commercial issue bordering on loans (bashi), the Council seems to have no idea on the several rules and regulations covering taking and paying of loans. The Council does not take cognisance of the Shari’ah on loans, particularly on bankruptcy where a person cannot by any means pay back a loan. Selling off his only property that he and his family rely on to get food and shelter by the Council is against Islamic provisions.

I wish to call here on the Emirate Council Members to bear in mind that, the Prophet (SAW) said that there are three types of Judges; two of them shall go to Hell while one of them shall go to Paradise. The one who did not learn the Shari’ah and judges ignorantly shall go to Hell. The one who knows the Shari’ah and judges selfishly shall go to Hell. And the one who knows the Shari’ah and judges correctly shall go to Paradise. Buraydah (RLA) reported that the Prophet (SAW said:

“The Judges are three kinds: two Judges are in Hellfire and one Judge is in Paradise. A Judge who judges without the truth while he knows it, he is in Hellfire. A Judge who has no knowledge and violates the rights of people, he is in Hellfire. A Judge who judges with the truth, he is in Paradise.” (Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi)

ANOTHER MEMBER OF COUNCIL: But Mai Girma Waziri, the Emir instituted this Shari’ah we are doing so as to assist our down trodden subjects who are being cheated by the Police and the Courts of Law.

WAZIRI: Yes, it is excellent to assist our down trodden subjects, but we have to do it correctly or else we shall face the wrath of Allah (SWT) who has set out conditions for a Muslim’s conduct of life; be it in Salat, Fasting, Hajj, Zakat and/or in Worldly Affairs. Muslims must be knowledgeable of what they do, because they must conduct the worship of Allah and their worldly affairs with knowledge and not with ignorance.

Anas ibn Malik (RLA) reported that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: “Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim male and female”. (Source: Sunan Ibn Maajah). Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said:

“Whoever travels a path in search of knowledge, Allah will make easy for him a path to Paradise. People do not gather in the Houses of Allah, reciting the Book of Allah and studying it together, but that tranquillity will descend upon them, mercy will cover them, Angels will surround them, and Allah will mention them to those near Him”. (Source: Sahih Muslim)

EMIR: Waziri, you cannot stop me and my Council from the conduct of this Shari’ah. Who do you think you are to do so? (Several unprintable insults by the Emir to the Waziri followed in the full glare of Council Members)

WAZIRI: Your Royal Highness, I know I cannot stop you from doing anything that you wished to do. But I am only doing what Allah (SWT) has endowed me to do, that I am to give you advice as your Chief Adviser, an honour bestowed on me as the Waziri of Katsina by Allah (SWT). And as a Muslim, I am bound by Islam to advice whoever, whenever and wherever I can as prescribed by the Religion of Islam. Allah (SWT) says:

And Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said:

Your Royal Highness, I have earlier stated that, we should listen to the complainants and to those who are accused; and do one of three things: (1) resolve the disputes if they are resolvable; (2) send the persons to the Nigeria Police if the issues are related to the Police or (3) send the persons to the Courts if the issues are related to Shari’ah or Magistrates or High Courts. Here we are helping not only the persons involved but also helping the Police and the Judges who would not dare to be bribed as the Emir and his Council have now interests in the matters brought before them.

Your Royal Highness, in these ways we would achieve our aims of resolving disputes thereby assisting our people, correcting the perceived ills of the Police and the Judges and above all receiving the bounties of Allah (SWT) in this World and in the Hereafter. Otherwise, Your Royal Highness, we shall bear the consequences of carrying the burdens of people we “judged” in ignorance of the Shari’ah and be performing illegalities in the eyes of the Nigerian Law. Your Royal Highness, Allah (SWT) is my Witness that I have done what I am supposed to do as a Muslim and as the Waziri of Katsina.

The dialogue continued in the above fashion and ultimately ended and the Waziri felt satisfied that he had done his duty. As a vindication of the Waziri’s fears that wrongdoings and corruption has been entrenched in the conduct of the “Shari’ah” at the Katsina Palace, some Members of Staff of the Council handling the “Shari’ah” were later placed on suspension due to bribery and corruption. Indeed, the “Chief Judge” of the Council was placed on indefinite suspension due to embezzlement and corruption, and legal actions to be instituted against him to recover the embezzled monies. Many of the “cases” handled by the Council were challenged by Legal Practitioners and some were even subjects of Law Courts actions by aggrieved persons. The Waziri tactfully started to withdraw from active participation in the Council’s “Shari’ah” as his conscience was pricking him and he believed that he could not account to Allah (SWT) with a mere expression that, “Oh Allah, I was made to commit that sin because I could not say “no” to the Emir of Katsina, my worldly boss”.

Such were the happenings over the years that climaxed over what was purely a scholarly and an academic issue that the Waziri feels proud to associate with. Professor Sani Abubakar Lugga, the Waziri of Katsina, was invited by the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, a Nigerian Government Professional Institute established by an Act in 2007 to present a Lead Paper at its Strategic Management Retreat at Ilorin, Kwara State, between 14^th and 15^th February 2022. The Waziri obliged them, as it was a purely academic affair. The Retreat was held with what the Institute Organisers said was the most well attended meeting they ever held. Former Directors General and high level Officers of the Institute were in attendance. Professors and Doctors in various professional fields were also in attendance. The Waziri delivered a well articulated Paper that led to the Retreat making it the Working Paper for the day. It was so interesting that the media, conventional and social; electronic and print, all made it their headlines and it went viral!

Just a day after the Retreat, on 16^th February 2022 when the Waziri was on his way to Ilorin Airport to board a Plane to Abuja, he was surprisingly telephoned and asked to report to a Member of the Council and to explain why he exposed what the caller considered as the “killings and abductions in Katsina State” that were vigorously given media publicity.

The Waziri’s Paper he delivered at Ilorin was purely professional and academic; and it mentioned the obvious insecurity happenings in Nigeria with Katsina State as a Case Study. As a Senior Councillor, the Waziri wondered why he was asked to report to a Member of Council and not to the Emir who was at that time in Kaduna. The Waziri’s Grandfather and the first Waziri of Katsina Sheikh Alhaji Haruna, was clearly second only to the Emir Alhaji Muhammadu Dikko. Official Records have shown that Waziri Haruna had the highest salary in Katsina Emirate, only second to that of the Emir and all King Makers and District Heads earned less than him and reported to the Emir through him. It is also on record that Waziri of Katsina Alhaji Isa Kaita, the son of Waziri Haruna and the uncle to Waziri Sani Lugga, was the most Senior Emirate Council Member with the designation of Katsina Emirate Chief of Staff and all King Makers and District Heads were reporting to the Emir through him. Therefore the Waziri said he shall not degrade the Office of Waziri of Katsina by reporting to anyone other than the Emir, who is his only Senior in the Emirate Council!

The Waziri equally wondered why he should be asked to explain the issues he had raised at the Retreat, which were daily issues on the news media and on the social media. They were also security concerns that were regularly expressed by Mr President, by the Governors and by the Traditional Rulers all over the Nigerian Nation, including the Emir of Katsina himself. The Waziri saw jealousy because of the very viral nature of the publicity given to his Paper contents, which even though the Emir of Katsina himself uttered similar concerns on insecurity, the Emir never received a similar publicity. The Waziri also saw sinister motives in all the happenings that were articulated to embarrass him by suspension or even a worse action, as it happened in the Katsina Emirate Council several times before to Council Members and to District Heads.

The Waziri therefore personally contacted His Eminence the Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, mni, who was at that time in Abuja; and who has been very conversant with the happenings in Katsina Emirate Council in his capacity as the leader of Nigerian Traditional Rulers, particularly those under the former Sokoto Caliphate. The Sultan immediately asked the National Coordinator of the National Council of Traditional Rulers, who is also the Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, CFR, to intervene. The Etsu Nupe was told by the Emir of Katsina that “His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari was the one who complained to him about the Waziri’s Paper that disclosed security challenges in his home State of Katsina”. However Members of the Katsina Emirate Council were told that it was the Governor of Katsina State who complained. So were the conflicting stories on the issue by the Emir and the Emirate Council!

Senior Leaders waged into the conflict. They included His Eminence the Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar CFR, mni, and His Royal Highness the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, CFR, who personally came to Katsina for the intervention. Others were His Royal Highness the Etsu Nupe Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar CFR, and His Royal Highness the Emir of Argungu Alhaji Samaila Muhammadu Mera, CON. Sheikh Sharif Ibrahim Saleh CON, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi CON, Sheikh Yusuf Sambo Rigachikun and several other prominent people also showed their concerns and intervened at different levels.

As an indicator of the sinister motives against the Waziri, he received a Letter of Query purportedly from the Katsina Emirate Council on 21^st February 2022. The Waziri did not want to answer the questions raised in the query letter as it was not signed by the appropriate Officer of the Council neither did it comply with due process as enshrined in the Law establishing Katsina Emirate Council. But due to the advice by the Senior Traditional Rulers concerned with the conflict, the Waziri decided to write a reply, which ultimately vindicated him from all the accusations. The long four pages Letter answering the Query was in the Hausa Language, as the Query was in Hausa. There were three questions the Letter of Query raised and demanded explanations within three days from the Waziri. They were that:

The Waziri said there is general insecurity in Katsina State that affected eight Local Governments;
The Waziri said Schools were closed and the District Heads of the eight Local Governments have relocated from their domains; and that;
The Waziri said for about two years now, bandits kill or abduct at least one person daily.

In the lengthy reply that carries facts and figures, the Waziri responded to the Query Letter, by firstly stating that the Waziri did not speak at the Ilorin Retreat on behalf of the Katsina Emirate Council but as a Professor at an academic forum organised by a Professional Academic Institute. The Waziri had been participating in similar forums for the last 20 years he had been a Waziri and had delivered over 100 of such Papers and Lectures locally and internationally. Why this particular one? Secondly, the 28 pages Academic Paper presented in Ilorin by the Waziri (a copy attached to the query answer) did not mention any of the three issues raised by the Query Letter as mentioned above. They were issues raised during the Comments and Questions Sessions that were subject to different interpretations by observers and the media. However, the Waziri also gave a lengthy answer to the three issues raised by the Query Letter. Below is a brief extract from the answer:

The Waziri stated at the Retreat that there was indeed insecurity in Katsina State and in the neighbouring States of Zamfara, Kaduna, Sokoto and others that were mainly on abductions for ransom and on general banditry. All States of Nigeria have had their own shares of insecurity also. The effect of banditry in Katsina State was on all Local Governments including Daura that was the most far away one from the epicentre of Rugu Forest. Indeed, Government itself had declared 13 grossly affected Local Governments in Katsina State; and not only the 8 that the Waziri was said to have mentioned in the Emirate’s Query Letter.
The Waziri noted at the Retreat that with the abduction of the students of the Government College Kankara on 1^st December 2020, the State Government closed all Schools on 12^th December 2020. Again the State Government closed all Boarding Schools for one year from January 2021 to January 2022. The Waziri also stated that 13 District Heads from 10 Local Governments have abandoned residing in their domains and not only the 8 mentioned in the Katsina Emirate’s Query Letter. They were (1) Magajin Malam of Danmusa; (2) Sarkin Fulani Dangi of Yantumaki (who was even killed by bandits); (3) Sarkin Pawwa of Kankara; (4) Kanwa of Ketare; (5) Jarmai of Tsiga; (6) Gatari of Zakka; (7) Danmadami of Daddara; (8) Sarkin Kudu of Danja; (9) Sarkin Musawa of Musawa; (10) Sarkin Gabas of Jikamshi; (11) Fagaci of Matazu; (12) Gado da Masu of Wagini; (13) Dan Isa of Rimaye. They were from 10 Local Governments as follows: Kankara, Danmusa, Bakori, Danja, Safana, Musawa, Matazu, Kankia, Batsari and Jibia.
The Waziri quoted a publication that 2 (two) people (and not the Emirate’s Query’s one person) were averagely killed in Katsina State daily. The Waziri here quoted several Newspaper reports on the issue, with particular reference to that of The Guardian Newspaper that reported that the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom states that, “ In Kaduna State 1,026 persons were killed, Katsina State recorded 876 deaths, while Zamfara and Niger States lost 845 and 236 citizens in 2020”. A simple primary school level arithmetic’s calculation gives an average of 2 persons killed daily in Katsina State in that year.

Despite all the glaring evidences contained in the Query Answer, the Emir of Katsina told all of the Senior Traditional Rulers and Senior Leaders who intervened that, the Waziri should apologise to him and publish the apology in all the electronic and print media. The Waziri requested that, the Emir should tell him his offence so that he would apologise as demanded. Because there was nothing personal between him and the Emir as far as the issues at stake represented. And if the Waziri were to apologise as far as the Query Letter is concerned, what was he to say was his offence? Would he say that people were not being killed and abducted in Katsina State and in other parts of the Nigerian Nation? Would he say that Katsina Emirate District Heads and thousands of innocent citizens were not relocating and abandoning their ancestral homes and many of them were not internally displaced persons? What was the Waziri’s offence: stating the obvious happenings not only in Katsina State but all over the Nigerian Nation?

As the intervention efforts were going on, the Waziri was reminding the Traditional Rulers and the other Senior Leaders of the efforts made in earlier conflicts and all were fruitless as the Emir of Katsina would not change his mind on what he sets out to do. This, the Emir had been emphasising publicly at several public occasions where he always had said that, he was not a patient man and never forgave what he considers as an offence, as his late father used to do. He believes that he has to punish whoever he considers as an offender!

The Waziri of Katsina, Professor Sani Abubakar Lugga, considered all the storms gathering and realised that all the events were geared towards embarrassing him and not towards the resolution of the unnecessary conflict between him and the Emir and the Emirate Council. Waziri Sani Lugga’s understanding was that, nothing would change either now or in the future; in view of the happenings in the Emirate Council over the past eight years! Above all, the Waziri believes that he would not face Allah (SAW) on the Day of Resurrection with an excuse that he committed some offences against humanity at the Emirate Council because the Emir of Katsina had asked him to do so, and he could not say “no” to the Emir.

In order to have the peace of mind, to save his hard earned integrity, to protect his honour and that of his Religion of Islam; and finally to face Allah with a clean heart without the encumbrances of the sins from Katsina Emirate Council on the Day of Judgement, Professor Sani Abubakar Lugga resigned from the Office of the 5^th Waziri of Katsina on Wednesday, the 21^st Day of Rajab, 1443 Hijrah, which was Wednesday, the 23^rd Day of February, 2022 AD; with absolute gratitude to Allah (SWT).