Governor Abba Yusuf has explained why he ordered arrest of deposed emir of Kano, Aminu Bayero, for which the court awarded N10 million damages to the monarch.
Speaking through his spokesman, Sunusi Bature, the Governor said he called for Bayero‘s arrest because he (Bayero) returned into two days after his dethronement to reclaim the palace, creating unrest in the state.
Bature was reacting to an article: ‘A Rendezvous with Recklessness and Executive Rascality,’ by Bala Ibrahim who accused Governor Yusuf of rascality and recklessness in power.
The Federal High Court in Kano recently ordered the state government to pay Bayero the sum of N10 million for breaching his fundamental rights, personal liberty and freedom of movement.
Citing Sections 35(1) and 41(1) of the 1999 Constitution, the court, presided by Justice Simon Amobeda, held that it was wrong for Yusuf to order Bayero’s arrest without lawful justification, which he said forced the applicant into house arrest for fear of been arrested.
Bala Ibrahim had used the ruling to mock and criticise the governor of being power drunk and taking reckless decisions, including demolition of buildings and the order to arrest Bayero in which the court granted compensations to all the applicants.
But Bature said: “Does Bala Ibrahim actually understand the workings of government and governance?
“I do not want to go into judicial pronouncements, but the point I want to make clear is that the issue of Kano Emirship is straightforward with the repeal of the Kano Emirate Law (2019) and enactment of Kano Emirate Law (2024), which gave Governor Yusuf the power to abolish the five emirates and return Kano to its glorious and historic position of one emirate.
“This is the wish of the people of Kano state.
“The reappointment of Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II did not also come to anyone as a surprise, because his dethronement and consequent banishment by Abdullahi Ganduje and his co-travellers was done out of malice.
“Now, calling for the arrest of dethroned Emir Aminu Bayero was only done for public good as his entrance into Kano, shortly after his dethronement posed a serious security threat which is being managed up till today.
“Governor Abba Yusuf remains the Chief Security Officer of Kano state, and no sane leader would fold his arms and watch Kano snowballs into a state of anarchy without taking action.”
On demolition, the governor said: “Again, the demolition of buildings and structures illegally acquired by former governor Ganduje, his family and friends, was an exercise carried out in good faith.
“It was an exercise pegged on the efforts to recover public property from the hands of very few individuals who believed they could pocket public funds, structures and resources and get away with them without giving a wink.
“We will not be deterred by propagandists like Bala Ibrahim doing the bidding of their paymasters, at the detriment of the welfare of the good people of Kano state and the socio-economic development of our dear state.”
