Emirship tussle : Court orders Kano govt to pay Bayero N10m over rights violation

A Federal High Court in Kano has mandated the state government to compensate Aminu Ado Bayero, the deposed Emir of Kano, with N10 million for violating his fundamental rights.

Simon Amobeda, the presiding judge, issued this directive on Friday during the judgment of case FHC/CS/190/2024 filed by Bayero.

Judge Amobeda also prohibited security forces from arresting, detaining, or harassing Bayero. He criticized the Kano state governor for instructing the police to arrest Bayero without legal justification, which he deemed a threat to Bayero’s liberty as guaranteed under Section 35(1) of the Nigerian Constitution.

Furthermore, the judge ruled that the Attorney-General of Kano State and the government must compensate Bayero for breaching his rights to personal liberty and freedom of movement, as outlined in Section 41(1) of the Constitution.

The controversy arose in May when Muhammadu Sanusi was reinstated as Emir by Governor Abba Yusuf, following the repeal of the law that led to Sanusi’s deposition and exile by former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje in 2020.

Bayero returned to Kano after a trip to Ogun and took residence in a palace in Nassarawa LGA, prompting the governor to order his arrest for allegedly causing unrest in the state.

However, conflicting court orders ensued: on May 27, a Kano High Court judge, Amina Aliyu, restrained Bayero from acting as Emir pending the outcome of a lawsuit and ordered police to take control of the Nassarawa palace. The following day, the same judge barred security agencies from evicting Sanusi from the palace.