Tensions Persist as Police Maintain Security Around Emir Aminu Ado Bayero’s Residence

A day after tensions escalated in Kano State, security personnel continue to seal off the residence of Aminu Ado Bayero, the 15th Emir of Kano, in the Nasarawa neighborhood of Kano.

Residents of Kano woke up on Wednesday morning to a heavy security presence around the Kano Government House, located near Emir Aminu Ado Bayero’s residence.

Security forces also sealed off all roads leading to the Nasarawa Emir’s home, causing significant traffic congestion in the area.

According to a statement from the Kano State Police Command, the deployment was based on intelligence reports indicating that some individuals were plotting to incite unrest in the state.

The police also confirmed the arrest of 17 suspects in connection with the alleged plan.

“Following credible intelligence reports of a planned violent protest by some individuals, the Command, in collaboration with other security agencies, has deployed personnel and assets to strategic locations within Kano Metropolis to prevent the protest and ensure public safety.”

The police urged residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to security agencies.

Videos circulating on social media on Tuesday night suggested that supporters of former Kano Governor Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, under the Kwankwasiyya movement, were organizing a protest against President Bola Tinubu’s alleged interference in Kano affairs.

The videos claimed that protesters planned to march through the Nasarawa Emir’s residence to the Kano Government House.

In a 1-minute, 46-second video, a Facebook user, Junaidu Aminu Kilishi, alleged that Kwankwasiyya members were planning to incite violence under the pretense of a protest.

“There is a major disaster being planned by these Kwankwasiyya members. They are planning violence under the guise of a protest. Tomorrow, if God allows, they will remove their red caps and pretend to be ordinary citizens. They will march through Nasarawa Gate to the Government House, chanting insults against the President, accusing him of destabilizing Kano and backing Emir Aminu Ado Bayero.”

As of the time of this report, neither the Kano State Government nor the Kwankwasiyya movement had officially responded to the allegations.

The Kano Emirate crisis began in 2019, when former APC Governor Abdullahi Ganduje restructured the emirate by creating four additional emirates—Rano, Karaye, Gaya, and Bichi—effectively splitting the historic Kano Emirate into five.

In 2020, Ganduje deposed Muhammadu Sanusi II, the 14th Emir of Kano, citing political interference and financial mismanagement.

Since then, tensions have continued between different factions within the emirate, with security forces frequently deployed to prevent further escalations.

While one side of the road leading to the Government House has been reopened, security remains tight around the Nasarawa Emir’s residence, where Emir Aminu Ado Bayero currently resides.

Authorities remain on high alert, closely monitoring the situation to prevent further unrest in the state.