Court restrains security agencies from removing Sanusi as Emir of Kano

A Kano state high court has restrained the police, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigerian Army from evicting Muhammadu Sanusi II, the reinstated Emir of Kano.

Amina Adamu Aliyu, the presiding judge, gave the order on Tuesday in a case filed by the Emir and four kingmakers of Kano.

The respondents are the Kano commissioner of police, inspector-general of police (IGP), director of DSS, chief of defence staff, and Aminu Ado Bayero.

The judge restrained the respondents from “attempting to hijack” the symbols of authority meant for the Emir of Kano pending the determination of the suit.

“That an order of interim injunction is hereby granted restraining the respondents either by themselves, their agents, privies, representative, and assigns from further harassing, intimidating, inviting, arresting and or invading the personal or official residence of the applicants (Gidan Rumfa), his servants and or any of the Kano emirate kingmakers of doing such acts that would be capable of interfering with the applicants’ rights generally in relation to this suit pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice,” the judge rules.

“That an order of interim injunction is hereby made restraining the respondents from taking further steps in connection with the matter or maintaining status quo of staying all action pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

“That an order of interim injunction is hereby granted restraining the respondents from attempting to hijack, pick, commandeer, confiscate any of twin spear of authority, the Royal Hat of Dabo, the Ostrich-feathered shoes, the knife and sword of the Emir of Kano as well as symbols of authority pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”

The case was adjourned to June 13.

On Monday, the same judge issued an order restraining Bayero from parading himself as the Emir of Kano pending the determination of the suit.

The judge also restrained the dethroned four other emirs of the disbanded emirates from parading themselves as monarchs in Kano.

The suit was filed by the attorney-general of Kano, the speaker, and the Kano house of assembly.

The respondents were Bayero, Nasiru Ado Bayero, Ibrahim Abubakar II, Kabiru Muhammad Inuwa, Aliyu Ibrahim Gaya, IGP, director of the DSS, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the Nigerian Army.

THE CONTROVERSY

Last Friday, Sanusi was reinstated as Emir by Abba Yusuf, governor of Kano, at a colourful ceremony in the government house.

The Kano house of assembly had repealed the law that Abdullahi Ganduje, the former governor of the state, used to depose and exile Sanusi in 2020.

The repeal paved the way for the reinstatement of Sanusi and the dethronement of Aminu Bayero.

On May 23, a federal high court in Kano ordered the state government not to enforce the Emirate Council Repeal Law 2024.

Bayero returned to Kano from a trip to Ogun on Saturday and moved into a palace in Nassarawa LGA.

Abba Yusuf, the Kano governor, ordered Bayero’s arrest “for creating tension in the state”.

A detachment of soldiers has been keeping watch over the Nassarawa palace since the arrest order.

Subsequently, Usaini Gumel, commissioner of police in Kano, said security agencies would obey the court order on Sanusi’s reinstatement.

Amid the controversy, supporters of Bayero took to the streets to protest the dethronement.

On Monday, the Kano government said the protests in some parts of the state were the handiwork of politicians who wanted to create chaos.