The Nigerian Army has firmly denied any involvement in the ongoing emirate tussle in Kano State.
In a statement released on Sunday, Maj. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, the Director of Army Public Relations, clarified that the Army personnel have not been engaged in enforcing any court orders related to the dispute.
Maj. Gen. Nwachukwu addressed allegations made by the Kano State chapter of the Nigerian Bar Association, stating, “Troops of the Nigerian Army have not been involved in the Kano State emirate tussle and are not involved in enforcing any court order.”
He emphasized that the Army’s actions are solely aimed at preventing a breakdown of law and order.
“The proactive steps taken by the Army are meant to checkmate any possible security breaches that may arise from the Kano Emirship tussle,” he explained. “The paramount concern of the Nigerian Army and other security agencies is to prevent any situation that could be exploited by adversarial non-state actors.”
He also mentioned that the military would only intervene directly if the police are unable to manage the security situation. “At this stage, the Army is monitoring the situation and remains on standby to respond to any escalation that could threaten the security of the state and the region,” he added.
The emirate crisis erupted when Governor Abba Yusuf dethroned Aminu Ado-Bayero on Thursday, subsequently appointing Muhammadu Sanusi II as the 16th Emir of Kano on Friday.
The dethronement followed the passage of the Kano State Emirate Councils Amendment Bill, which the governor signed into law. This law also abolished the additional four emirate councils created by the previous governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, leading to the dethronement of the associated monarchs.
Since his dethronement, Ado-Bayero’s whereabouts had been unclear, but reports of his return to Kano on Saturday have surfaced, raising tensions in the state.
In response to these events, the Kano branch of the Nigerian Bar Association condemned the alleged use of Nigerian Army personnel to enforce court orders related to the tussle. However, the Army’s statement seeks to dispel these allegations and clarify their role in maintaining peace and security during this turbulent period.
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