Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, the governor of Kano State, has issued an order for Aminu Ado Bayero, the ousted emir of Kano, to be taken into custody immediately.
The directive was stated in a statement released on Saturday by Sanusi Tofa, the Director General of Media and Publicity at Government House in Kano.
Bayero should be placed under custody, according to the governor, for allegedly inciting unrest in the state.
The statement titled ‘Gov. Yusuf Orders Arrest of Deposed Emir of Kano Aminu Ado Bayero,’ 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.
“The former Emir was smuggled into Kano city last night in an attempt to forcefully return to the palace two days after being deposed by the governor.
“In a statement issued by Mr. Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, the spokesperson for the Governor, it was confirmed that the new Emir, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, arrived at the palace in the company of the Governor, the Deputy Governor, the Speaker of the State Assembly, and other top government functionaries at about 1:00 a.m. 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.”
On Saturday, Bayero—whose whereabouts had been a mystery since his deposition on Thursday, came back to Kano.
The law that former governor Abdullahi Ganduje had signed on December 5, 2019, was revoked by the state House of Assembly.
Ganduje divided the emirate into five and named emirs after approving the legislation.
Yusuf instructed all the emirs impacted by the Kano Emirates Council Law 48 hours to leave their palaces and turn them over to the Commissioner of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs after signing the legislation that was later overturned.
Then he said that Muhammadu Sanusi, the Emir of Kano whom Ganduje had removed in 2020, would now be restored.
Sanusi performed Jumat prayers at the Government House in Kano on Friday after receiving a letter of reappointment from the governor.
According to a video seen by Daily Trust, Ado Bayero returned to Kano in the early hours of Saturday into the waiting hands of a gathering of supporters.
Muhammadu Sanusi II was reappointed by Governor Abba Yusuf on Friday, making him the 16th Emir of Kano.
The letter of reinstatement was given to Sanusi at the Government House in Kano.
The governor said, “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.”