Human rights advocate Chidi Odinkalu and businessman Atedo Peterside have condemned the invitation of the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, by the Inspector General of Police for questioning over a Sallah day incident that led to the death of a palace guard.
The Emir has been summoned to appear before the Force Intelligence Department (FID) in Abuja on April 8, 2025, in connection with the March 30 stabbing at the Kofar Mata Eid Ground, which marred the Eid celebration in Kano.
The invitation was contained in a letter signed by Commissioner of Police Olajide Ibitoye on behalf of the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Force Intelligence Department. The letter states: “I have the directives of the Inspector General of Police, through the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Force Intelligence Department, to invite you for an investigative meeting regarding an incident that occurred during the Sallah celebration within your domain.”
In response to the invitation, Atedo Peterside, founder of Stanbic IBTC Bank and Anap Foundation, questioned the motive for summoning a traditional ruler across state lines for a matter that occurred within his jurisdiction.
“What is police trying to turn Nigeria into? Has Nigeria become a police state? Is there any question that the Commissioner of Police cannot legitimately ask the Emir of Kano in Kano on behalf of his Abuja bosses?”
He denounced cross-state police invitations as “harassment” that should not be tolerated in the twenty-first century.
Chidi Odinkalu, a respected human rights lawyer, expressed similar thoughts, claiming that the police intervention could be politically motivated and potentially destabilising.
“It looks like some people are bent on using police to foment crisis in Kano at all costs,” he warned.
The Kano State Police Command had previously confirmed the arrest of a 20-year-old suspect in connection with the fatal stabbing, which allegedly occurred when security personnel were escorting the Emir after Eid prayers. A palace officer, Shamakin Kano, Wada Isyaku, has also been summoned for interrogation as the probe continues.
While the police assert that the emir’s invitation is part of routine investigative protocols, some fear that the move could be politically charged and further inflame tensions in the already sensitive Kano emirate.
As the April 8 meeting approaches, all eyes are on how the scenario plays out, with increasing calls for openness, due process, and respect for traditional institutions.
