PICTORIAL: Protest Erupts In Kano Over Removal Of Emir Bayero

Protesters have taken to the streets in Kano municipality in support of the dethroned Emir Aminu Ado Bayero on Sunday afternoon, demanding his reinstatement as the Emir of Kano.

A motley crowd of young men took to the streets around 4pm, following a special prayer session at the Nasarawa Mini Palace for Bayero’s reinstatement.

LEADERSHIP reports that on arrival in Kano on Saturday morning, two days after his dethronement by the Kano State government, Bayero proceeded to the Nasarawa mini palace where he is currently holding up.

The protest quickly gained momentum, with demonstrators setting tires on fire while security operatives did not prevent them.

Protesters carried placards bearing inscriptions such as “Abba Kabir Yusuf, Obey Court Order,” “You Must Obey The Court,” “Aminu Is Still Our Emir,” and “We Are Against Injustice.” They were fervently chanting: “We want the return of Aminu”.

One of the pro-Bayero protesters, Usaini Rabiu Kunya, emphasised the need for the State government to obey court order on the development in Kano Emirate. “Our King Aminu Ado has ordered us to be peaceful and law-abiding, so we are peacefully calling on the government to follow the court order,” Kunya stated.

Another protester, Abubakar Garba, appealed to President Bola Tinubu to ensure justice in the Kano royal dispute. “We call on the president to ensure that justice prevails in this royal tussle,” Garba said.

The protest is the latest episode in a prolonged conflict that began on Thursday when the Kano State House of Assembly repealed the Kano Emirates law of 2019 used by former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje to create four additional Emirates in the state and eventually dethroned Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II in 2020 over certain differences.

Incumbent Governor Abba Yusuf’s recent decision to dissolve the emirates and restore Kano Emirate to its pre-2019 status has reignited tension in the northern Nigeria’s commercial nerve city.

LEADERSHIP earlier reported that similar protest broke out on Sunday in Gaya town, one of the headquarters of the dissolved four Emirates.

Meanwhile, the state governor, his aides and some top state government officials have remained at the main Emir’s palace alongside the reinstated Emir Sanusi II since Saturday morning.

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