Police have taken over Kano's Emir palace, displacing local guards protecting reinstated Emir Muhammadu Sanusi. This secures the palace for deposed Emir Aminu Bayero after a court ruling challenged his dethronement. The Kano House of Assembly's law, which divided the emirate and dethroned Sanusi in 2020, was repealed.
The police have reportedly taken control of the emir's palace in Kano State, displacing the local guards who were protecting Muhammadu Sanusi, the recently reinstated emir. According to Premium Times, the local guards, who were hunters, vacated the premises as soon as the police assumed control of the palace's security.
This move is aimed at preparing the main palace for the relocation of Aminu Bayero, the deposed 15th Emir of Kano. Bayero's dethronement was recently challenged, leading to a court order that faulted the state government’s actions. On Thursday, a federal high court in Kano nullified all actions taken by the state government under the Emirates Council Law of 2019. Presiding Judge Muhammad Liman noted that the defendants had disregarded an interim order previously granted by the court and had proceeded to implement the law.
On May 23, the Kano House of Assembly passed an amended bill, which was signed into law by Governor Abba Yusuf. This law repealed the 2019 version that had divided the Kano emirate into five jurisdictions, which was used to dethrone Sanusi as emir in 2020. The same day, Sanusi was reinstated as Emir of Kano by the kingmakers and the governor.
Dissatisfied, Aminu Babba Dan Agundi and Sarkin Dawaki Babba of the Kano Emirate filed a court case to prevent the implementation of the new law. Judge Liman ordered the defendants to suspend and not enforce the 2024 law.
Despite this, the Kano police command stated it would not comply with the state government's directive to evict Bayero from the Nassarawa palace, where he moved after being replaced by Sanusi. Bayero, reportedly supported by federal government officials, remains under the protection of soldiers and police officers at the Nassarawa palace.
