The crisis over the Kano emirate continues on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, as two courts in the ancient city of Kano gave two different orders.
While the Federal High Court sitting in Kano ordered the eviction of reinstated Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II from the Kofar Kudu Palace, a State High Court also sitting in the state capital restrained police and other security agencies from carrying out the order.
The federal court also ordered the police to ensure all rights and privileges due to the deposed emir, Aminu Ado Bayero, are restored to him as the rightful emir.
The court listed Emir Ado Bayero as the applicant, and Attorney-General of the Federation, Attorney-General of Kano State, Nigeria Police Force, Inspector-General of Police and Commissioner of Police Kano as respondents
Also listed as respondents are the State Security Service, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy and Nigeria Air Force.
Justice S. A. Amobeda, who gave the ex parte order on Tuesday, stated that the order was given in the interest of justice and maintenance of peace in Kano State.
The judge gave “AN ORDER of interim injunction restraining the respondents either by themselves, their agents, servants, privies or any other person or authority from inviting, arresting, detaining, threatening, intimidating, harassing the Applicant, raiding, tempering with or visiting the applicant in order to arrest or infringe on his right or in any other way infringe or attempt to infringe the applicant’s rights pending the hearing and determination of the Originating Motion.”
He also gave “AN ORDER restraining the 3rd, 4th and 5th respondents and all other respondents from denying the applicant to use his official residence and palace at the Emir’s Palace, Kofar Kudu, as well as enjoyment of all rights and privileges accrued to him by virtue of being Emir of Kano State and to evict anybody residing within the palace illegally pending the hearing and the determination of the originating summons.”
The suit has been adjourned to 4th of June for hearing.
However, the State High Court sitting at Miller Road gave an order restraining the police, the State Security Service (SSS) and Nigerian military from evicting the reinstated Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II.
The case was filed by Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II with the four kingmakers of Kano: Madakin Kano Yusuf Nabahani; Makaman Kano Ibrahim Sarki Abdullahi; Sarkin Bai Mansur Adnan and Sarkin Dawaki Maituta Bello Tuta.
The presiding judge, Justice Amina Adamu Aliyu, also restrained the security agencies from arresting or harassing the emir and his kingmakers.
The judge held “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 or 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 also gave an order of interim injunction “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.”
He also restrained the respondents “from interfering with the functions, duties of the 1st Applicant as the Emir of Kano pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice dated 28 May, 2024.”
The motion on notice was adjourned to June 13, 2024, for hearing.
