THE Kano Police Command has said it would enforce an order by the Federal High Court in the state restricting the government from reinstating Lamido Sanusi as emir.
Kano State Commissioner of Police (CP) Usain Gumel disclosed this during a press briefing on Saturday, May 25.
He also said that the police would work closely with other law enforcement agencies to carry out the ruling by the court.
“The police command is expressly obeying the court order with Suit No. FHC/KN/CS/182/2024 Dated 23rd May, 2024 issued by the Federal High Court sitting in Kano alongside all law enforcement agents in the state.
“Therefore, we are calling on members of the public to know that the police in the state is working together with the military and other security agencies to provide the adequate security to everyone, as we are committed to carrying out our statutory duties as provided by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the CP said.
The ruling was delivered on Thursday, May 23, refraining the government from enforcing the newly amended Emirate Council Repeal Law of 2024.
The law was amended on Thursday by the Kano House of Assembly, and it abolished the five emirates in the state, leaving room for the position of only one emir.
It also vested constitutional authority to appoint an emir in the state governor.
The bill was quickly signed by the Kano Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, who reinstated Sanusi as emir.
Sanusi was the emir of Kano until 2020 when he was dethroned by the former governor Abdullahi Ganduje, following the establishment of five emirates in the state.
Yusuf presented Sanusi with an appointment letter on Friday, May 24, 2024 in defiance of the court order.
However, security officials escorted Ado Bayero, the recently dethroned emir, whom Sanusi is now to replace, to the palace on Saturday morning.
Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via vopara@icirnigeria.org or @ije_le on Twitter.