A stalwart of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Kogi State and the 2023 PDP House of Representatives candidate, Comrade Austin Okai, has challenged northern state governments to deploy Hisbah police in the fight against insecurity rather than restricting their operations to moral enforcement.
In a statement released on Thursday, Okai questioned what he described as the “selective visibility” of the Islamic police, arguing that their silence and inactivity in the face of rising banditry and kidnappings across the northern region is troubling.
“Why are they hidden? Why are the Hisbah Islamic Police hiding?” Okai queried. “Can’t they also fight insecurity in the North, or do they only know how to destroy beer?”
He criticized northern governors for allegedly underutilizing the Hisbah, despite the significant security manpower resources within the organization.
“This is not the time to be selective,” Okai stressed. “Northern Governors should arm them and deploy them to go after bandits and kidnappers. I believe they will make meaningful contributions.”
Okai insisted that insecurity has become a national emergency and that every available force must be mobilized to restore peace across northern communities.
His remarks have sparked fresh debate on the role and mandate of Hisbah, particularly as insecurity continues to claim lives and displace thousands across the region.
