A Kano High Court has ordered Aminu Ado-Bayero to cease parading from himself as the 15th Emir of Kano, and also directed the police to evict him from the mini palace at the State Road, Kano.
Justice Amina Adamu Aliyu’s order on Monday is effective until 11 June 2024 when the substantive motion will be heard.
This legal tussle followed a Federal High Court ruling on Thursday which restrained the reinstatement of Muhammadu Sunusi II as Emir of Kano and suspended the law establishing the dissolved five emirates in the state.
However, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf contested the ruling, claiming that the judge, who issued it was in the United States of America.
The governor has vowed to report the matter to the Nigeria Governors Forum. He insisted that “there is nothing stopping the recognition of Muhammadu Sanusi II as Emir of Kano”.
In defiance of the initial ruling, Sanusi II moved into the Emir’s palace on Friday and commenced his duties as the Emir of Kano. On Saturday morning, Ado-Bayero, who was out of town when he was deposed, returned to Kano and was escorted under heavy security to a mini palace on State Road.
The Commissioner of Police in Kano, Muhammad Gumel, alongside other security chiefs, asserted their commitment to enforcing the court’s orders.
Gumel said: “The order of the court restraining Sanusi as Emir will be followed to the letter”.
The court order also affects other traditional rulers. It restrains Nasiru Ado Bayero, Ibrahim Abubakar II, Kabiru Muhammad Inuwa, and Aliyu Ibrahim Gaya from parading themselves as emirs of Bichi, Gaya, Rano, and Karaye respectively.
The defendants included in this suit Ado-Bayero, Ibrahim Abubakar II, Kabiru Muhammad Inuwa, Aliyu Ibrahim Gaya, the Inspector General of Police, the Director of the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the Nigerian Army. The plaintiffs are the Attorney General of the state, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, and the state House of Assembly.
Justice Aliyu emphasised the importance of maintaining the rule of law, stating, “This court will ensure that its orders are respected and upheld until the substantive motion is heard”.
The situation remains tense in Kano as the legal battles continue, with many eyes on the 11th June 2024 hearing.
