The Kano State Government has ordered the demolition of a section of the palace of Ado Bayero, the deposed 15th Emir of Kano.
This comes hours after a Federal High Court in the state faulted the repealed Kano Emirates Council Law of 2019, which was used to reinstate the 14th emir of the state, Muhammadu Sanusi II.
Haruna Dederi, Kano State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, disclosed that the government has directed the police to take over the Emir’s palace in Nassarawa Local Government Area.
Dederi claimed that the state government has made arrangements for the reconstruction and renovation of the palace, including demolishing “dilapidated walls”.
Muhammad Liman, the presiding judge, had in a ruling on Thursday, ordered parties involved in the case to maintain the status quo.
The judge held that the defendants were aware of an interim order previously granted by the court but ignored it and implemented the law.
Liman said he would assume his coercive powers to enforce compliance with the court order.
However, the judge transferred the case to another federal high court judge, Simon Amobeda, for continuation given his elevation to the court of appeal.
Speaking on the court ruling, the commissioner said the state government acknowledged the verdict.
”The Kano State Government acknowledges the ruling by the Federal High Court regarding the Kano Emirates Council (Repeal) Law, 2024 and views same as upholding the rule of law,” he said.
“By the ruling of the court, it has unequivocally reaffirmed the validity of the law passed by Kano State House of Assembly and assented to by His Excellency the Executive Governor of Kano State on Thursday 23rd May 2024 by 5:10 pm.
“This part of the judgement is very fundamental to the entire matter. A further implication of the ruling is that all actions done by the Government before the emergence of the interim order of the honourable court, are equally validated.
“This means that the abolishing of the five emirates created in 2019 is validated and the deposition of the five emirs is also sustained by the federal high court.
“By implication, this means that Muhammadu Sanusi II remains the Emir of Kano. The judge also granted our application for the stay of proceedings until the court of appeal deals with the appeal before it on jurisdiction.
“Happily, the signing of the law and the reinstatement of His Highness, Emir Muhammad Sanusi II, were done on 23rd May 2024 before the emergence of the interim order, which was served on us on Monday 27th May 2024,” the commissioner told journalists on Thursday.
“Following this Court’s ruling, the Kano State Government has directed the State Commissioner of Police to remove the deposed emir of the 8 metropolitan local governments from the government property where he is trespassing, as the government has already concluded arrangements for the general reconstruction and renovation of the property, including the demolishing and reconstruction of the dilapidated wall fence, with immediate effect.”
