Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has mandated the immediate arrest of the deposed Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero. This development was disclosed in a statement on Saturday by Sanusi Tofa, the Director General of Media and Publicity at the Government House in Kano.
Governor Yusuf has accused Bayero of inciting tension within the state. According to the statement, Bayero was surreptitiously brought into Kano city with an intention to forcefully reclaim the palace just two days after his deposition.
In a significant move early Saturday morning, the new Emir, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, arrived at the palace, accompanied by the governor, the deputy governor, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, and other high-ranking officials. As the state's Chief Security Officer, Governor Yusuf directed the Commissioner of Police to arrest Bayero immediately for disrupting public peace and attempting to jeopardize the state's stability.
Ado Bayero's whereabouts had been unknown since his removal from office on Thursday until his return to Kano on Saturday. His return was met by a crowd of supporters, as captured in a video by Daily Trust.
This series of events follows the state House of Assembly's repeal of a 2019 law signed by former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, which had divided the emirate into five and appointed Emirs to each section. In response, Governor Yusuf ordered the affected Emirs to vacate their palaces within 48 hours. He also reinstated Muhammadu Sanusi II, who was deposed in 2020, as the Emir of Kano. Sanusi received his reappointment letter on Friday and led Jumat prayers at the Government House.
Governor Yusuf reappointed Muhammadu Sanusi II as the 16th Emir of Kano, basing his decision on the powers conferred by the Kano Emirate Council Law of 1984 and 2024 and the recommendations of the kingmakers. Sanusi's reinstatement marks a significant chapter in Kano's emirate history.
