Several traditional officials who were recently evicted from the main Kano Emir’s Palace have taken legal action against the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, and 12 others, alleging unlawful eviction and destruction of their personal property.
The plaintiffs, including Usman Dako (Galadiman Sallama), Auwalu Maikudi (Sarkin Lema), and Sani Mohammad, popularly known as Sani Kwano, filed the suit at the Kano State High Court in Bichi.
In suit number K/M1607/2025, they are asking the court to declare their forceful eviction from the palace last Monday illegal and to hold the defendants accountable for the damages caused during the operation.
The respondents include Emir Sanusi, the Kano Emirate Council, the Inspector-General of Police, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and others.
Following the filing, the court has ordered all parties to maintain the status quo ante—meaning no further action should be taken until the matter is fully resolved in court.
The eviction comes amid an ongoing leadership tussle within the Kano Emirate. In May 2024, Governor Abba Yusuf dethroned Emir Aminu Ado Bayero and four other emirs, reinstating Muhammadu Sanusi II as the sole Emir of Kano. Ado Bayero has since challenged his removal in court.
Since the development, both Sanusi and Ado Bayero have been operating from separate palaces—Sanusi from the main palace, and Ado Bayero from the mini palace.
The evicted officials, many of whom have longstanding family ties to the palace, claim they were targeted due to their perceived loyalty to the deposed emir, Ado Bayero.
The emirate crisis has created uncertainty within Kano’s traditional institutions, with several titleholders and district heads caught in the crossfire of the escalating royal dispute.
