The ongoing Kano emirate crisis deepened on Tuesday as two courts in Kano issued conflicting orders.
A Federal High Court in Kano ordered the eviction of reinstated Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II from the Kofar Kudu Palace.
In contrast, a State High Court in the same city restrained the police and other security agencies from enforcing the eviction order.
The federal court also directed the police to restore all rights and privileges to deposed Emir Aminu Ado Bayero, recognizing him as the rightful emir.
Emir Ado Bayero was listed as the applicant in the federal case, with the Attorney-General of the Federation, Attorney-General of Kano State, Nigeria Police Force, Inspector-General of Police, and Commissioner of Police Kano among the respondents.
Additional respondents included the State Security Service, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, and Nigeria Air Force.
Justice S. A. Amobeda, who issued the federal court order, stated that:
“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.”
“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 case was adjourned to June 4 for hearing.
Meanwhile, the State High Court on Miller Road, presided over by Justice Amina Adamu Aliyu, issued an order restraining the police, the State Security Service, and the Nigerian military from evicting Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II.
He 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.”
This case was filed by Emir Sanusi II along with four Kano kingmakers.
The State High Court adjourned the motion on notice to June 13, 2024, for hearing.
