By Enyichukwu Enemanna
The Deputy Governor of Kano State, Northwest Nigeria, has accused the country’s National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu of hijacking the Emirate of Kano, in a bid to foil the sack of Ado Bayero, rumoured to be a father-in-law of the NSA.
“The National Security Adviser ordered the return of HRH Aminu Ado Bayero as Emir of Kano. We are confused.
“The National Security Adviser gave two jets to bring the dethroned emir to Kano and to bring him to the place. We have not understood their intention,” Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo said in a chat with journalists in the state on Saturday.
Heritage Times HT recalls that the state governor had earlier in the week announced the removal of Ado Bayero and other Emirs appointed by his predecessor, Abdullahi Ganduje.
The governor signed the Kano State Emirate Council (Amendment Number 2) Law, 2024, abolishing the five additional emirate councils created by Ganduje in a bid to reinstate Sanusi who was deposed and banished in 2020 by Ganduje.
The governor upon the sack of Ado Bayero and other Emirs gave them 48 hours to vacate their palaces and hand over to the commissioner of local government and chieftaincy affairs, apparently to create room for the return of the reinstated Sanusi who has been since issued appointment letter by the state government.
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However, this did not go down well with Ribadu, an Adamawa-born retired police officer, who was the pioneer chairman of the anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He was said to have deployed officers of the Nigerian Army and that of the State Security Service (SSS) to ensure the reinstatement of the deposed emir.
The dethroned emir, accompanied by several military escorts, reportedly returned to the state around 4 a.m. on Saturday, on a chartered flight from Abuja, after returning from a visit to the Awujale of Ijebuland in Ogun state, and was welcomed back to Kano by a crowd of supporters.
The security officials who drove the dethroned emir to the Emir’s palace in Nassarawa, are said to be enforcing a Federal High Court judgement granted by Justice Muhammadu Liman, who is believed to be faraway United States where he is observing holidays.
Governor Yusuf dissatisfied by the judge’s action has vowed to report him to the Nigeria Governors Forum, for stopping the reinstatement of Sanusi as the 16th Kano Emir, in absentia.
The reinstated Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II was also escorted at midnight into the palace by the governor, along with his deputy and the speaker of the House of Assembly with heavy security presence.
The security chiefs, as well as the director of the SSS, Yusuf Magaji Bichi, had earlier met with Mr Sanusi in a bid to persuade him to leave the newly regained office.
Emir Sanusi has since applauded his reinstatement into the traditional throne, describing it as ordained by God.
