Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II of Kano State, speaking at the National Dialogue Conference on Gender‑Based Violence held at Bayero University Kano, has called for significantly stronger legal penalties for perpetrators of domestic violence. He sternly stated that domestic abuse,including wife‑beating and spousal rape, is becoming alarmingly widespread in the state, declaring unequivocally that “no good Muslim beats his wife,” and that Islam strictly forbids such violence.
Sanusi highlighted the severity of the situation, revealing that 45 percent of cases before nine Kano Shari’ah courts in a five‑year period were linked to domestic violence. He outlined instances where women suffered grievous harm broken limbs, lost teeth, and severe physical injuries, underscoring that many offenders had misinterpreted religious texts to justify violence, while in practice none of the reported cases involved so-called “light beating”.
The Emir warned he would strip traditional title holders under his jurisdiction of their honours if found to be abusing their spouses. He also urged urgent legislative reform to repeal Section 55 of Nigeria’s Penal Code, which permits husbands to “correct” their wives within a loosely defined allowance that has often led to abuse. Sanusi emphasised that gender‑based violence cannot remain tolerated under the guise of culture or religion and called for women to be empowered to resist abuse and for men to be educated that violence is unacceptable.
