The Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has ordered the immediate arrest of the deposed Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero.
The directive was issued on Saturday in a statement by Sanusi Tofa, the Director General of Media and Publicity at the Government House in Kano.
The statement, titled “Gov. Yusuf Orders Arrest of Deposed Emir of Kano Aminu Ado Bayero,” accused Bayero of creating tension within the state.
It read, “The Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has ordered the immediate arrest of the former Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, for creating tension in the state.”
According to the statement, Bayero was clandestinely brought into Kano city last night in an attempt to re-enter the palace just two days after being deposed.
Governor Yusuf emphasized his role as the Chief Security Officer of the state, directing the Commissioner of Police to arrest Bayero immediately for disturbing public peace.
The statement further detailed the sequence of events leading up to this decision.
The new Emir, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, arrived at the palace accompanied by the governor, the deputy governor, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, and other top government officials at around 1 am on Saturday, May 25, 2024.
“As the Chief Security Officer of the state, His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has directed the Commissioner of Police to arrest the deposed Emir with immediate effect for disturbing public peace and attempting to destroy the relative peace the state enjoys,” the statement added.
Aminu Ado Bayero, who had been deposed on Thursday, resurfaced in Kano on Saturday, his whereabouts previously unknown.
His return was marked by a large gathering of supporters, as seen in videos circulated by local media.
The tension in Kano follows the state House of Assembly’s repeal of a law signed by former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje on December 5, 2019.
That law had split the Kano emirate into five distinct entities, each with its own Emir.
Upon the repeal of the Kano Emirates Council Law, Governor Yusuf gave the affected Emirs 48 hours to vacate their palaces and hand them over to the Commissioner of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
Subsequently, he reinstated Muhammadu Sanusi II, who had been deposed by Ganduje in 2020, as the Emir of Kano.
On Friday, Sanusi II received his letter of reinstatement at the Government House in Kano and led the Jumat prayers there.
Governor Yusuf remarked during the presentation, “By the powers conferred on me by the Kano Emirate Council Law of 1984 and 2024, and supported by the recommendation of the kingmakers, I have the singular pleasure of confirming the reappointment of Muhammadu Sanusi II as the Emir of Kano and the head of the Kano Emirate Council.”
