The Federal High Court sitting in Kano has ordered the eviction of Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II from the Kofar Kudu Palace, while a State High Court has restrained the police and other security agencies from carrying out the eviction order.
On Tuesday, the Federal Court ordered the police to ensure that Aminu Bayero, the 15th Emir of Kano, receives all rights and advantages due to him as the genuine Emir of Kano.
The presiding judge, Justice S. A. Amobeda, who issued the ex parte order, claimed that it was done in the interests of justice and 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 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 third, fourth, and fifth 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 being the Emir of Kano State, and to evicting anybody residing within the palace illegally pending the hearing and the determination of the originating summons”
The suit has been postponed until June 4 for a hearing.
However, a State High Court sitting on Miller Road barred the police, the Department of State Services, and the military from evicting the reinstalled Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II.
Muhammadu Sanusi II filed the petition alongside Kano’s four kingmakers: Madakin Kano, Yusuf Nabahani, Makaman Kano Ibrahim Sarki Abdullahi, Sarkin Bai Mansur Adnan, and Sarkin Dawaki Maituta Bello Tuta.
Justice Amina Aliyu, The presiding judge also restrained 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 assigns from further harassing, intimidating, inviting, arresting, or invading the personal or official residence of the applicants (Gidan Rumfa), his servants, or any of the Kano Emirate kingmakers of doing such acts that would be capable of interfering with the applicants’ rights generally about 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, or confiscate any of the twin spears 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.”
It further directed that the respondents refrain from interfering with the first applicant’s rights and obligations as the Emir of Kano pending the hearing and conclusion of the application on notice dated May 28, 2024.
The motion on notice was continued to June 13, 2024, for a hearing.
