Kano Weds 1,500 Couples, Honours Widower

The Kano State Government on Friday conducted a mass wedding for 1,500 couples, including Haruna Bashir, the widower who lost his wife and six children in a tragic murder incident.

The symbolic ceremony was held at the Emir’s Palace in Kano, with the Chief Imam of Kano, Prof. Sani Zahradeen, officiating.

Governor Abba Yusuf represented the grooms, while the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, stood in for the brides during the ceremony.

The Commander-General of the Kano Hisbah Board, Sheikh Aminu Ibrahim-Daurawa, said the event marked the second mass wedding organised under the Yusuf administration, adding that similar ceremonies were held simultaneously across the state’s Local Government Areas.

He said Bashir was among those featured in the symbolic ceremony and disclosed that the state government had provided him with a house in Amana City, sponsored him for Hajj and Umrah, and arranged his marriage to Rahinatu Jamilu-Yunusa.

According to Ibrahim-Daurawa, the intervention has helped Bashir begin rebuilding his life after the tragedy that claimed his wife and six children.

He said the second symbolic wedding united Saminu Tijjani-Isa and A’isha Muazu-Muhammad, while the third joined Khalifa Muhammad-Inuwa and Maimuna Muhammad-Mu’azu.

Governor Yusuf described the mass wedding initiative as a social welfare programme aimed at restoring hope, strengthening family values, and supporting vulnerable residents.

He said the government was committed to reducing the financial burden of marriage while promoting stable families in line with Islamic teachings and Kano’s cultural values.

In his Friday sermon, the Emir of Kano urged the newly married couples to build their homes on faith, patience, mutual respect and compassion, stressing that peaceful families are the bedrock of a stable society.

The programme also featured lectures by Islamic scholars on the importance of marriage, the rights and responsibilities of spouses, and practical ways of resolving marital disputes in accordance with Islamic principles.

As part of the support package, each bride received ₦200,000 for dowry and business start-up capital, alongside household items, including a bed and mattress, blankets, bed sheets and a centre rug.