By Abba Dukawa
The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has called for tougher sanctions against perpetrators of gender-based violence, stressing that no true Muslim should beat his wife.
Sanusi made the remarks at his palace on Monday while receiving a delegation from the Development Research and Project Center (dRPC) and the Center for Islamic Civilization and Interfaith Dialogue (CICID) at Bayero University, Kano.
The visit was part of an advocacy project funded by the Ford Foundation to mentor Muslim opinion leaders in combating gender-based violence (GBV) in northern Nigeria.
“I have never supported beating women,” the monarch said. “Those who do so are not trying to correct their wives; they are causing harm. These are not minor slaps—we’re talking about assaults that leave women injured or maimed.”
He condemned the misuse of religion to justify domestic abuse, stating, “Anyone who beats or injures his wife is not a good person. This is not just my personal opinion; it is what the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) taught. People who misuse Islam to defend violence do so out of ignorance.”
The former Central Bank Governor noted that Islam accords women respect and protection, and urged religious and traditional institutions to speak out more strongly against GBV.
Sanusi also threw his weight behind the revival and implementation of the Kano State Family Law draft, which he said addresses several legal gaps around GBV in the state.
“Our Islamic legal traditions already have the tools needed to curb this menace,” he said. “What remains is to compile and codify these laws to suit modern application.”
Drawing from his academic research, the emir said his doctoral study on the codification of Islamic family law revealed a disturbing trend of domestic violence. “In five years, I studied nine Shari’a courts in Kano and found a high rate of GBV cases,” he said.
He warned that traditional leaders under his domain would be held accountable if found complicit.
“I have informed all my district and village heads—anyone found guilty of beating his wife will lose his traditional title,” the monarch declared.