Barely 24 hours after a Kano State High Court ordered the deposed Emir of Kano Bayero and four others to stop parading themselves as emirs, a Federal High Court sitting in Kano has ordered the eviction of reinstated Emir, Muhammadu Sanusi II from Kofar Kudu Palace.
The Court, while weighing into the ongoing emirship tussle, further deepened the confusion by equally directing the Police to ensure all rights and privileges due to the 15th Fulani Emir of Kano, Aminu Bayero be restored to him, as the rightful Emir of Kano.
The Presiding Judge, Justice S. A. Amobeda, who gave the exparte order on Tuesday stated that the order is made in the interest of justice and maintenance of peace in Kano state.
The order states; “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 3″, 4* 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 enjoyment of 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 suit has been adjourned to the 4th of June for a hearing.
Recall that the State High Court sitting at Miller Road has restrained the police, the State Security Service (SSS) and the Nigerian military from evicting the reinstated Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II.
However, the case was filed by Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II alongside the four kingmakers of Kano: Madakin Kano Yusuf Nabahani; Makaman Kano Ibrahim Sarki Abdullahi; Sarkin Bai Mansur Adnan and Sarkin Dawaki Maituta Bello Tuta.
The presiding judge, Justice Amina Adamu Aliyu, also retrained the security agencies from arresting or harassing the emir and his kingmakers.
The judge held “that an order of interim injunction is hereby granted restraining the Respondents either by themselves, their agents, privies, representative, and assigns 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 1″ Applicant as the Emir of Kano pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice dated 28 May 2024.”
The motion on notice was adjourned to June 13, 2024, for a hearing.