KANO, Nigeria — In a move that has intensified the political and traditional turmoil in Kano, a High Court has directed the Commissioner of Police to evict deposed Emir Aminu Ado Bayero from the mini palace in the Nasarawa area of the Kano metropolis.
The court’s directive came on Monday, May 27, 2024, ordering immediate action pending the hearing and determination of a motion on notice scheduled for June 11, 2024.
The orders, delivered by Justice Amina Adamu Aliyu of the High Court No. 7 on Miller Road, Kano, were sought by the State’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, the Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, and the State House of Assembly in a suit against Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero and four other deposed Emirs.
“That an order is hereby granted to the extent that the Commissioner of Police Kano State should immediately take over the palace of the Emir of Kano situate being and lying at State Road Kano and evict the 1 Defendant/Respondent from the said palace pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice dated 24th May, 2024,” the court order reads.
The court also issued an interim injunction preventing the deposed Emir from parading himself as the Emir of Kano.
“That an order of this Hon. Court is hereby granted restraining the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th Defendants from parading themselves as Emirs of Kano, Bichi, Gaya, Rano, and Karaye in the interest of peace in Kano pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice,” the order stated.
The High Court’s decision follows the signing of the Kano State Emirate Council Law 2024 by Governor Abba Yusuf, which dissolved four new Emirates in the State and restored Kano Emirate to its pre-2019 status.
Subsequently, Governor Yusuf issued a reappointment letter to Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II as the new Emir of Kano and ordered the affected emirs to vacate their palaces within 48 hours.
However, the State Police Command has vowed to enforce an interim order from the Federal High Court sitting in Kano, which opposes Sanusi’s reinstatement.
As a result, Emir Bayero has remained in the Nasarawa mini palace under heavy security, while Emir Sanusi II operates from the main palace, guarded by vigilantes and local hunters.
In response to the court order, the Kano State Government appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene and relocate the deposed Emir Bayero, citing concerns for peace and stability.
Deputy Governor Aminu Abdussalam emphasized the threat posed by Bayero’s presence in Kano during a press conference on Monday.
“We appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Office of the National Security Adviser, and other agencies concerned to investigate the happenings in Kano as it relates to the deposed Emir, Aminu Ado Bayero, and take immediate steps to evacuate him from his current residence and remove him from the state. As it is now, he is constituting a security threat in the state,” Abdussalam said.
The deputy governor accused certain individuals within the All Progressives Congress (APC) of instigating protests against the dissolution of the emirates and Sanusi’s reinstatement.
“Ever since the process of repealing the law started, Kano was peaceful and people were jubilating only for us to start seeing negative developments,” he added.
As the legal and political battle continues, the situation in Kano remains tense, with the court’s orders further complicating the already volatile environment.
The next hearing on the matter is scheduled for June 11, 2024, as stakeholders and residents await further developments.
