The Executive Secretary of the Kano State Censorship Board, Alhaji Isma’il Muhammad Afakallah, yesterday, says the remand of Kano popular Hausa Musician, Sadiq Usman Saleh in prison custody was not political.
The musician popularly known as Sadiq Zazzabi was arraigned before a Magistrate Court 3 sitting at Audu Bako Secretariat on Wednesday by the board for two-count charge of releasing an uncensored song and indecent dress respectively.
Zazzabi’s arraignment and subsequent remand, Daily Trust observed has generated serious debate especially on the platform of social media with many people describing the development as political.
However, Afakallah said contrary to speculations that the musician was remanded because he sang for Dr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, Zazzabi was sent to prison for violating the laid down rules of the board.
He explained that the musician had brought a video clip of a song on the 9th January, 2017 for censoring, but while officials of the board were working on the clip, he went ahead and released it.
He said: “Releasing an uncensored song is a violation of section 100 (1) of the Kano State Censorship Board Regulation 2001and is punishable under section 112. The musician is also accused of indecent dress in the clip which is a violation of section 97 (2) and punishable under section 112 of the same law.
“From our investigation, the musician had completed his album earlier before he brought it to the board for censoring. The album brought for censoring could not be completed within just few days. It would take a musician at least two months to finish it.”
Afakallah added that the board on its part can spend at least three to four weeks before it could finish censoring the clip in question.
Daily Trust gathered the case resume today (Friday) for hearing.
Our reporter gathered that the song that caused the disagreement between the board and the popular musician was initially sung for the incumbent governor of the state, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, not Kwankwaso.
Daily Trust observed that what the embattled musician did was modifying the song in the name of the immediate past governor of the state, Dr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso.
