The Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, had, in an exclusive interview on Wednesday, accused President Jonathan of deploying police officers to seal off the palace to prevent the new emir, Lamido Sanusi, from moving in.
Sharareporters reports that the Nigerian police have been ordered to arrest the newly-crowned Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, on fraud-related charges stemming from his tenure as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Adding that the Presidency sources in Abuja indicates that the team of policemen at the Emir’s palace in Kano received the order from the Nigeria police headquarters to place Mr. Sanusi under arrest if he leaves the Kano Governor’s lodge.
The sources told disclosed that Mr. Sanusi was to be arrested at his private home on Sunday night after his appointment was announced by the Kano State Governor. It would be recalled that the presidency embarked on several frantic measures to frustrate the former CBN governor’s emergence as Emir, including the premature congratulations of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to one of the candidates before the choice was announced.
Since becoming Emir, Mr. Sanusi has been inside the Kano State governor’s lodge, receiving visitors and undertaking traditional rites.
But in an exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES Thursday, Mr. Shinaba, the Police Commissioner said the allegation is false. He said his men were guarding the palace and its vicinity to keep the peace and prevent miscreants from looting the complex.
Mr. Shinaba said, “We are not stopping anyone from accessing the palace. The Emir or anyone else can move in and out of the palace unmolested.
“The police has no power over the Emir. It’s a traditional institution and we have respect for it. But a situation where people would be creating problems, protesting and threatening the peace is unacceptable. We cannot fold our arms and allow miscreants to loot the palace.”
The police commissioner denied being under any instruction from anyone to block the emir from entering his palace or arresting him.
“Instruction from who? Go and ask the presidency or the police headquarters to determine if they gave me any instruction to block the Emir from his palace or molest him. “My own interest is that of security which I’m doing and will continue to do.”
Protests had broken out in Kano on Sunday shortly after the announcement of the new emir, as his supporters clashed with those of his opponent, the son of the former emir, Ado Bayero, who died Friday.
Mr. Kwankwaso said he has “credible information” the president instructed his supporters in Kano to unleash “mayhem” on the state. “We don’t know his intention, but, certainly the intention is not good,” he said. “We have to tell him that igniting crisis in Kano is not in the interest of anybody. We have enough crisis already in the country, and now they are funding their stooges in Kano to protest and burn government properties.”
The governor also accused the president of plotting to arrest the new emir and instructing the police to seal off his palace. “We got information that they were planning to arrest him, so, we moved him to the Government House. I don’t want to imagine what would have happened if they succeeded,” he said.
Emir Sanusi has been operating from the Kano Government House since his appointment.
Adding that the Presidency sources in Abuja indicates that the team of policemen at the Emir’s palace in Kano received the order from the Nigeria police headquarters to place Mr. Sanusi under arrest if he leaves the Kano Governor’s lodge.
The sources told disclosed that Mr. Sanusi was to be arrested at his private home on Sunday night after his appointment was announced by the Kano State Governor. It would be recalled that the presidency embarked on several frantic measures to frustrate the former CBN governor’s emergence as Emir, including the premature congratulations of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to one of the candidates before the choice was announced.
Since becoming Emir, Mr. Sanusi has been inside the Kano State governor’s lodge, receiving visitors and undertaking traditional rites.
But in an exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES Thursday, Mr. Shinaba, the Police Commissioner said the allegation is false. He said his men were guarding the palace and its vicinity to keep the peace and prevent miscreants from looting the complex.
Mr. Shinaba said, “We are not stopping anyone from accessing the palace. The Emir or anyone else can move in and out of the palace unmolested.
“The police has no power over the Emir. It’s a traditional institution and we have respect for it. But a situation where people would be creating problems, protesting and threatening the peace is unacceptable. We cannot fold our arms and allow miscreants to loot the palace.”
The police commissioner denied being under any instruction from anyone to block the emir from entering his palace or arresting him.
“Instruction from who? Go and ask the presidency or the police headquarters to determine if they gave me any instruction to block the Emir from his palace or molest him. “My own interest is that of security which I’m doing and will continue to do.”
Protests had broken out in Kano on Sunday shortly after the announcement of the new emir, as his supporters clashed with those of his opponent, the son of the former emir, Ado Bayero, who died Friday.
Mr. Kwankwaso said he has “credible information” the president instructed his supporters in Kano to unleash “mayhem” on the state. “We don’t know his intention, but, certainly the intention is not good,” he said. “We have to tell him that igniting crisis in Kano is not in the interest of anybody. We have enough crisis already in the country, and now they are funding their stooges in Kano to protest and burn government properties.”
The governor also accused the president of plotting to arrest the new emir and instructing the police to seal off his palace. “We got information that they were planning to arrest him, so, we moved him to the Government House. I don’t want to imagine what would have happened if they succeeded,” he said.
Emir Sanusi has been operating from the Kano Government House since his appointment.
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