Barely hours after a state hight court sitting in Kano had issued an order on Tuesday, May 28 restraining the Nigeria Police from vacating Emir Mohammad Sanusi 11 from the palace, a federal high court has ordered same police to evict him.
The Federal High Court sitting in Kano and presided by Justice S. A. Amobeda, did not only ordered Sanusi’s eviction, but also directed the police to ensure all rights and privileges due to the 15th Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, were given to him as the rightful Emir of Kano.
Justice Amobeda stated that the order was made in the interest of justice and the maintenance of peace in the ancient commercial city.
Justice Amobeda said: “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’s 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 enjoy all rights and privileges accrued to him by virtue of being emir of Kano State and to evicting anything, anybody residing within the palace illegally pending the hearing and the determination of the originating summons.”
The Attorney General of the federation, the attorney general of the state, the police commissioner, the army etc were listed defendants/respondents in the case.
The suit has been adjourned to June 4 for a hearing.
Meanwhile, a State High Court sitting at Miller Road, Kano had earlier today, Tuesday, May 28, restrained the police, State Security Service (SSS) and Nigerian military from evicting the reinstated Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II from the palace.
The case was filed by Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II with the quartet of kingmakers of Kano: Madakin Kano Yusuf Nabahani; Makaman Kano Ibrahim Sarki Abdullahi; Sarkin Bai Mansur Adnan and Sarkin Dawaki Maituta Bello Tuta as applicants.
The presiding judge, Justice A. Adamu Aliyu also retrained the security agencies from arresting or harassing Sanusi and his kingmakers.
The judge held that “an order of interim injunction is hereby granted restraining the respondents either by themselves, their agents, privies, representatives, and asides 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 of 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.
“That an order of interim injunction is hereby granted 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.
“That it is further ordered that the Respondents are restraining from interfering with the functions, and duties of the 1st applicant (Sanusi) as the Emir of Kano pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice dated May 28, 2024.”
The state court adjourned the case to June 13, 2024, for a hearing.
The Daily Crucible had earlier reported that a judicial crisis loomed in Kano over emirship tussle as two courts continue to issue conflicting orders.
The State High Court presided over by Justice Amina Adamu Aliyu had on Monday, May 27, ordered the commissioner of police to immediately evict the 15 Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, from the Nasarawa palace where he is presently staying.
Bayero moved into the palace after a new law in the state dethroned him and four other emirs last Friday evening.
He was reported to have received in the palace, heads of districts in his domain, even as a section of the Arewa group had earlier begged him to leave Kano immediately to allow peace reign in the ancient commercial city.
Earlier, a Federal High Court sitting in Kano had also issued an order restraining Governor Abba Yusuf from giving effect to the law dethroning him and four other emirs.
