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The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has withdrawn the summons issued to Emir Sanusi over post-Eid unrest in Kano. Instead, police operatives will discreetly obtain Sanusi’s statement. The move follows interventions from national stakeholders and aims to prevent politicization amid rising tensions between rival Kano Emir factions.

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has officially withdrawn the invitation extended to the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi, regarding a disturbance that broke out during the recent Sallah celebrations.

Rather than requiring Sanusi’s appearance, the police chief has now instructed the Force Intelligence Department to visit Kano and obtain the Emir’s statement directly. This shift follows strong appeals from national stakeholders who urged restraint to avoid any political misinterpretation of the police’s actions.

Force spokesperson Olumuyiwa Adejobi explained that while Sanusi was initially asked to provide his version of events after the incident that occurred post-Eid prayers, the strategy was reconsidered. The police remain committed to neutrality, Adejobi said, stressing that the new approach would ensure a calmer, less politicized handling of the matter.

Before the incident, intelligence reports had flagged potential unrest as rival claimants to the Kano Emirship — Alhaji Ado Bayero and Alhaji Lamido Sanusi — prepared to host separate Durbar festivities. Anticipating tensions, the IGP had dispatched top-ranking officers to mediate between the two factions.

Authorities say investigations are ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the unrest.