There is tension in Kano as both the newly appointed Emir, Muhammadu Sanusi II and the deposed Emir, Aminu Ado Bayero both lay claim to the throne.
Emir Sanusi II has formerly assumed duty at the palace while the deposed Emir Ado Bayero is at the royal house in Nasarawa, another part of Kano city.
Sanusi II appeared at the palace on a horse with the royal umbrella, which signifies him as the emir.
The state governor, Abba Yusuf, had earlier assented to the Kano State Emirates Council (Amendment Number 2) Law, 2024. The amended law abolished the establishment of the five emirate councils of Kano, Bichi, Rano, Karaye and Gaya in the state.
The governor signed the bill into law in the presence of the deputy governor, Aminu Abdulsalam, Speaker, Isma’il Falgore, and the SSG, Abdullahi Bichi.
Speaking after the signing, the governor announced the reinstatement of Emir Sanusi ll, who was deposed by former governor, Abdullahi Ganduje in 2020.
The move led to his reinstatement four years after the immediate past governor of the North-West state Abdullahi Ganduje deposed him.
Meanwhile, Bayero reportedly landed at the Aminu Kano International Airport on Saturday at 4:30 am and was greeted by supporters. He proceeded to occupy the Nasarawa palace.
Following Bayero’s return to Kano, Governor Yusuf ordered his immediate arrest, accusing him of creating tension within the state.
According to a press statement issued early Saturday morning by Mr Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, the spokesperson for the Governor, the former emir was allegedly smuggled into Kano city last night in an attempt to reclaim the palace forcefully.
The statement, issued in Kano, confirmed that the new Emir, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, had arrived at the palace accompanied by the Governor, the Deputy Governor, the Speaker of the State Assembly, and other top government officials on Saturday.
“As the Chief security officer of the state, His Excellency the Executive Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has directed the Commissioner of Police to arrest the deposed emir with immediate effect for disturbance of public peace and trying to destroy the relative peace the state enjoys,” read the statement from Mr. Tofa, who serves as the Director General of Media and Publicity at the Government House in Kano.
The statement emphasized the government’s commitment to maintaining peace and order, highlighting that any actions undermining this stability would be met with strict measures.
Police vow to enforce court order against dissolution of new emirates
The Kano State Police Command said it will enforce the court order restraining the state government from dissolving five newly created Emirates in the state.
The state Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Hussain Gumel, vowed to maintain law and order, assuring that security agencies won’t spare anyone trying to temper the peace across the state.
“Let me also remind you that the position of the law is very clear as whoever, under whatever guise is found to be planning to disrupt the peace being enjoyed in the State or feel that he or she can jeopardize the existing security settings in the State will be arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law.
“Therefore, as the Police Command is leading other security agencies to sustain the peace and peaceful coexistence for overriding interests, miscreants should steer clear of violence in all its ramifications and should not take advantage or hijack the current situation to launch an unprovoked attack on people, property and infrastructure of the State. Any person found with such a tendency will be ruthlessly dealt with according to the law of the land
“The combined security agencies in the State have set out all machinery in place to ensure no breakdown of law and order as the safety and security of all the inhabitants in the State remain sacrosanct,” Gumel said.
Meanwhile, the office of the National Security Adviser has debunked the claims that the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu facilitated the return of the dethroned Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, to the ancient city.
The spokesperson for the office of the NSA, Zakari Mijinyawa, described the claims as false.
Mijinyawa, who spoke in Abuja, was reacting to the state Deputy Governor, Aminu Gwarzo, who had accused the NSA of facilitating the return of the dethroned emir.
Earlier the deputy governor said the law was clear on the process for the coronation of an emir and that “nobody has any right to interfere or enforce anyone on Kano people”.
He had accused Ribadu of “using security” to intimidate the people of the state.
However, the NSA, through his spokesperson, stated emphatically that the office of the NSA did not provide the aircraft that returned Ado Bayero to the state.
