A coalition of civil society organisations under the umbrella of the Global Centre for Conscious Living Against Corruption (GCCLAC) on Wednesday condemned the creation of what it described as a parallel Hisbah formation in Kano State, warning that the development poses a grave threat to Nigeria’s security architecture.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, the convener, Gabriel Nwambu, said the emergence of the group, known as Hisbah Independent Fisabilillahi, represents “a dangerous repeat of the Boko Haram evolution pattern,” especially with what he called the infusion of religion, youth mobilisation, and unverified funding streams.
“This development is a clear indication of another Boko Haram as it has religion dangerously laced to it,” Nwambu said.
He argued that the group’s structure, political backing, and alleged massive financial resources mirror the early stages of violent insurgent formations that began as moral enforcement outfits but later transformed into full-blown terror movements.
GCCLAC called for the immediate disbandment of the group and demanded that the Kano State government publicly declare its operations illegal and inimical to state security.
“The Kano State government must issue a definitive public statement declaring the Hisbah Independent Fisabilillahi illegal, unlawful, and an enemy of the state’s security,” Nwambu added.
He further urged the police, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) to launch an urgent, comprehensive investigation into the promoters, command structure, and funding channels sustaining the organisation.
The coalition expressed strong concern over what it described as “substantial yet untraced financing” behind the recruitment of an alleged 12,000 youths under a religious enforcement banner.
Nwambu questioned whether the group’s funding could be linked to political interests, laundering of diverted public funds, or international terror financing networks.
“The mobilisation and sustenance of a 12,000-personnel group requires significant and sustained financial resources. This is a grave public interest matter,” he noted.
He warned that unchecked financial inflows to religiously branded groups fall directly under global anti-terror financing scrutiny, including FATF frameworks, and must not be ignored.
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The coalition drew parallels between the formation of the disputed Hisbah structure and the historical evolution of Boko Haram, which it said also began under youth mobilisation before mutating into a violent ideology-driven insurgency.
“What starts as moral policing can quickly evolve into a fully-fledged private militia, capable of armed conflict,” Nwambu said.
He cautioned that without immediate state intervention, the creation of another unregulated religious enforcement group could fuel radicalism, arms proliferation and political militia culture.
GCCLAC also urged government at all levels to invest in socioeconomic interventions to prevent youth exploitation for political and religious enforcement purposes.
“The time for decisive action is now, before a private political experiment in Kano metamorphoses into a national security catastrophe,” he warned.
The coalition insisted that the protection of democratic space and security must override all political calculations, adding that failure to act now could ignite a crisis with national implications.
