The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, has allegedly intensified moves to hijack the Kano Emirate to ensure the re-enthronement of his Emir, Ado Bayero, who are said to be In-laws. 

The deputy governor, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, made the allegation on Saturday, while speaking with journalists at the emir’s palace, in Gidan Rumfa, on Saturday.

Mr Gwarzo said,.”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,” he stated.

The NSA was also 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 currently holidaying in the United States. 

The governor has, however, vowed to report the judge to the Nigeria Governors Forum, for stopping the reinstatement of Mr Lamido as the 16th Kano Emir, in absentia.

The reinstated Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II was also escorted at midnight into the palace by the governor, his deputy and the speaker of the House of Assembly with heavy security presence, after hearing wind that a plot to enthrone Mr Bayero.

The security chiefs, as well as the director of the SSS, Yusuf Magaji Bichi, are said to have also met with Mr Sanusi in a bid to persuade him to leave the newly regained office without any incident.

The NSA is a son-in-law to the deposed emir while the former Central Bank of Nigeria governor, is a close friend to the former Kaduna state governor, Nasir El-Rufai, whose ministerial nomination was stopped by Mr Ribadu due to personal bile.

Meanwhile, Mr Yusuf, has in a statement, through his spokesperson, Sanusi Bature, directed the Nigeria Police Force to arrest the deposed emir for allegedly creating tension in the state and attempting to forcefully return to the palace after his dethronment. 

He said, “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.

“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,” he added.

Defying the governor’s directive, however, the state Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Usain Gumel, told journalists at the Command Headquarters, his men will be “expressly obeying the Court Order with SUIT No. FHC/KN/CS/182/2024 Dated 23rd May, 2024 issued by the Federal High Court sitting in Kano.”

Recall that the governor had signed the Kano State Emirate Council (Amendment Number 2) Law, 2024, thereby abolishing the five additional emirate councils, with the aim of reinstating Mr Sanusi who was deposed in 2020 by the immediate past governor, Abdullahi Ganduje.

The governor, therefore, sacked Mr Bayero and the other emirs appointed by Mr Ganduje, while also giving them 48 hours to vacate their palaces and hand over to the commissioner of local government and chieftaincy affairs.