Kano Hisbah raises alarm over fraudsters extorting mass wedding applicants

The Kano State Hisbah Board has raised the alarm over alleged extortion of prospective beneficiaries of the state’s mass wedding programme, warning residents not to pay money to anyone claiming to facilitate their registration.

The board said it had received reports that some individuals were demanding payments from intending participants despite the state government’s commitment to fully fund the exercise.

Deputy Commander-General of the board, Dr. Mujahideen Aminuddeen, issued the warning on Wednesday in Kano, stressing that no official of the Hisbah Board or the Kano State Government had been authorised to collect money from applicants.

According to him, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has already approved full sponsorship of the programme, covering wedding attire, furniture, transportation of the furniture and start-up capital for beneficiaries.

“The governor has paid for everything. Nobody should pay for anything because the entire programme is completely free,” Mr Aminuddeen said.

He warned members of the public to disregard anyone demanding registration fees or promising to secure a place in the scheme in exchange for money.

Mr Aminuddeen urged victims and members of the public to report anyone involved in the alleged extortion to the Hisbah Board or security agencies for investigation and possible prosecution.

The warning comes amid growing concerns that fraudsters are attempting to exploit the state’s mass wedding initiative by posing as officials and collecting money from unsuspecting applicants.

The Kano mass wedding programme is one of the social intervention initiatives of the Yusuf administration aimed at supporting less-privileged couples and reducing the financial burden of marriage.