‘Unsafe, stranded, became street urchin’ — late Kano emir’s daughter beg Nigerians for help
Zainab Bayero, daughter of Ado Bayero, late Emir of Kano, has cried out for help, stating that her family is stranded on the streets of Lagos State.
In a video shared on social media, Zainab said she, her mother, and younger brother have struggled to survive since her father’s death.
The late Bayero, who became Emir of Kano in 1963, died on June 6, 2014.
The video, less than five minutes long, showed a visibly distraught Zainab claiming she was stranded around the Eko Hotel area of Lagos at 1.00am with no place to stay.
“This is me, daughter of the Emir of Kano on the street of Lagos, unsafe, stranded. No one cares if I live or die. No one owes me anything. That is fine but at least I deserve to feel safe, protected,” she said.
“My father left me with nothing — no education and home. I’ve tried to survive… I can’t go on anymore. This is what they’ve turned me to; they’ve turned me into an urchin, and a girl who had so many dreams.
“I’m a woman with nothing — no job, degree, home. I’m lost and stranded, no one to turn to, no family.
“The burden is too much on me. My mum and my junior brother depend on me. I don’t have any means to keep providing for them. That is why I ran away.”
She further expressed her frustration, stating that she had reached out to influential figures, but received no meaningful assistance.
“I’ve spoken out in the media, I’ve pleaded with the president, the governor, the current Emir Sanusi, and their fathers,” she said.
“I’ve pleaded to care for a young woman who doesn’t want to be killed; who doesn’t want to die. But it’s obvious nobody cares if I live or die, and I want to end it because I can’t keep doing this.”
This is not the first time Zainab has publicly appealed for help. Earlier this year, she spoke to several media outlets about her plight.
In June, the Kano state government intervened to settle the rent on the Lagos apartment where Zainab, her mother, and brother were staying after they faced eviction.
Some weeks later, Zainab took to the media to seek another financial assistance.
Subsequently, there were reports alleging that that she had squandered the money given to her by the Kano state government — a claim she denied.
