The Nigerian Army has denied any involvement in the ongoing Kano State emirate tussle. In a statement on Sunday, Maj. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, Director of Army Public Relations, clarified that the Army has not been enforcing any court orders related to the dispute.
Maj. Gen. Nwachukwu emphasized that contrary to allegations made by the Kano State chapter of the Nigerian Bar Association, “troops of the Nigerian Army have not been involved in the Kano State emirate tussle and are not enforcing any court order.”
He stressed that the Army’s actions are solely focused on preventing any potential breakdown of law and order.
“The Army’s proactive steps are aimed at checkmating any possible breach of security that may arise from the Kano Emirship tussle,” Nwachukwu stated.
“The primary concern of the Nigerian Army and other security agencies is to maintain peace and order in the state, preventing any situation that could be exploited by adversarial non-state actors.”
He added that the military would only intervene if the security situation escalates beyond the control of the police. “At this stage, the Army is monitoring the situation and remains on standby to respond if necessary to any escalation that threatens the security of the state and the region.”
The emirate conflict began when Governor Abba Yusuf dethroned Aminu Ado-Bayero on Thursday, subsequently reinstating Muhammadu Sanusi II as the 16th Emir of Kano on Friday.
The House of Assembly’s passage of the Kano State Emirate Councils Amendment Bill, which the governor approved, led to the dethronement of Ado-Bayero and the abolition of the additional four emirate councils created by the former governor, Abdullahi Ganduje.
Since his dethronement, Ado-Bayero’s whereabouts were unknown until reports surfaced of his return to Kano on Saturday, causing increased tension in the state.
In response to the controversy, the Kano Branch of the NBA condemned the alleged use of Army personnel to enforce court orders related to the emirate dispute.
Maj. Gen. Nwachukwu reiterated that the Army’s involvement is strictly limited to maintaining security and preventing any deterioration of the situation.
