The marital crisis between Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, and his wife, Zainab, has taken a fresh turn following reports that three security personnel attached to the governor’s wife have been arrested.
The reported arrests came after Zainab reportedly left her husband’s residence amid the breakdown of their marriage, which has now resulted in divorce proceedings at an Upper Area Court in Gudu, Abuja.
Zainab, daughter of former Kano State Governor and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, is seeking the dissolution of her marriage to Yusuf after about 20 years together.
The suit, registered as CV/97/26, has reportedly led to a court summons directing the governor to appear on Tuesday, November 17.
A member of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, a political group associated with Kwankwaso, confirmed the divorce proceedings to Sunday PUNCH, disclosing that Zainab had moved out of the governor’s residence about three weeks ago.
The source said the reason for her decision to seek a divorce was known to her and declined to speculate on the circumstances behind the marital dispute.
The same source confirmed awareness of the reported arrest of the three security personnel but provided no further details.
However, the circumstances surrounding the arrests could not be independently verified. The identities of the personnel and the allegations against them were also not disclosed.
When contacted, the Kano State Police Command spokesperson, Abdullahi Kiyawa, declined to comment, saying the matter was already before a court.
He maintained that the command would not discuss issues pending before the judiciary.
Efforts to obtain the state government’s reaction were unsuccessful, as the Commissioner for Information, Ibrahim Waiya, did not respond to calls seeking his comment.
The marital crisis is unfolding against the background of a political disagreement between Governor Yusuf and Kwankwaso, who was formerly his political benefactor and remains his father-in-law.
Yusuf became governor in 2023 under the New Nigeria Peoples Party with Kwankwaso’s political backing but later defected to the All Progressives Congress, leading to a breakdown in their political relationship.
Although the development has drawn attention to the strained relationship between the two political families, no direct connection has been established between the political disagreement and Zainab’s decision to seek a divorce.
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