The Department of State Services has interrogated several officials of the Kano State Government over allegations of cyberbullying and defamation targeting a former governor of the state, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
The officials were reportedly invited and detained on Saturday for about four hours before being released on self-recognition, amid an ongoing investigation prompted by a petition filed by the Kwankwasiyya Movement.
Those quizzed include the Director-General, Media and Publicity, Kano Government House, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa; Special Adviser to the Governor on Information, Ibrahim Adam; APC Youth Leader in Kano, Salisu Yahaya Hotoro; and Senior Special Reporter at the Government House, Nuhu Dambazau.
The petition, dated April 9, 2026, accused the officials of engaging in coordinated online attacks aimed at tarnishing the image of Kwankwaso and other prominent figures within the movement, including Aminu Abdusalam Gwarzo and Rufai Sani Hanga.
Sources said the DSS action followed heightened complaints of defamatory content and cyber harassment circulating on social media platforms amid escalating political tensions in Kano.
Spokesman for the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Dr. Habibu Sale Mohammed, confirmed the development, stating that the petition was signed by the movement’s Kano State Chairman, Musa Gambo Hamisu Danzaki.
He said the group was compelled to act after alleging a pattern of harassment against its members.
Mohammed said, “Our decision to petition the DSS was informed by the arrest and detention of some of our members over allegations of cyberbullying by the Abba Kabir Yusuf-led administration.
“When we raised concerns that some government aides were also involved in defaming our leader, the DSS said there was no formal complaint before it. That necessitated this petition.”
The development underscores the intensifying political rivalry between supporters of the Kwankwasiyya Movement and the Kano State Government, with both sides trading accusations across digital platforms.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the DSS nor the Kano State Government had issued an official statement on the matter, suggesting that investigations are ongoing.
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