In a significant development, the Kano High Court has issued a directive restraining Aminu Ado Bayero from presenting himself as the 15th Emir of Kano and has mandated the police to remove him from the mini palace situated at the State Road.
The order, pronounced by Justice Amina Adamu Aliyu on Monday, is effective until June 11, 2024, when the substantive motion will be heard.
This legal saga stems from a Federal High Court ruling last 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.
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf contested the ruling, expressing concerns about the absence of the judge who issued it, purportedly in the US.
Governor Yusuf has vowed to escalate the matter to the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), maintaining that there are no obstacles preventing the recognition of Muhammadu Sanusi II as Emir of Kano.
Despite the initial ruling, Sanusi II assumed his role as Emir of Kano on Friday, moving into the emir’s palace and commencing official duties.
Subsequently, Bayero, who was away when he was deposed, returned to Kano on Saturday 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, reiterated their commitment to enforcing the court’s orders.
“The order of the court restraining Sanusi as Emir will be followed to the letter,” stated Commissioner Gumel.
The court order extends to other traditional rulers as well, preventing Nasiru Ado Bayero, Ibrahim Abubakar II, Kabiru Muhammad Inuwa, and Aliyu Ibrahim Gaya from representing themselves as emirs of Bichi, Gaya, Rano, and Karaye, respectively.
The defendants in the suit include 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 Kano State, the Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, and the Kano State House of Assembly.
Justice Aliyu emphasized the imperative of upholding the rule of law, asserting, “This court will ensure that its orders are respected and upheld until the substantive motion is heard.”
As legal proceedings unfold, the situation remains tense in Kano, with all eyes eagerly awaiting the developments leading up to the June 11, 2024, hearing.