The Kano State Government has conducted a mass wedding for 1,500 widows across the state.
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf served as guardian, Waliyyi, for one of the grooms, Haruna Bashir, whose wife and children were reportedly killed by suspected terrorists in Chiranci area of Kano.
Bashir was married to Nabila Kabiru Yunusa. The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, represented the bride, while the governor stood as the groom’s guardian. A dowry of ₦200,000 was paid for the marriage.
The programme was held simultaneously across the 44 local government areas of the state. Under the initiative, each bride received ₦200,000 from the state government as dowry and additional financial support to start a small-scale business.
Speaking at the ceremony held at the Juma’at Mosque of the Emir’s Palace in Kano, Commander-General of the Kano State Hisbah Board, Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa, said the government had provided further support to Bashir to help him rebuild his life.
Daurawa said the government sponsored Bashir to perform Umrah, facilitated his participation in Hajj, and provided him with a house at Amana City in Kano. He said the interventions were aimed at easing the emotional and psychological burden from the tragedy.
He urged the newly married couples to uphold the sanctity of marriage, live peacefully and build stable families that would contribute positively to society.
One of the beneficiaries, Musbahu Abdullahi, expressed gratitude to the state government for organising the wedding and pledged to treat his wife with care and responsibility.
Special prayers were offered for peace, stability and unity in Kano State and Nigeria.
The state government allocated about ₦300 million for the latest phase of the mass wedding programme aimed at supporting widows and other eligible beneficiaries