Emirship Tussle: Mysterious fire guts HRH Sanusi II’s palace in Kano

BY IDIBIA GABRIEL

While the crises generated as a result of Emirates tussle is yet to settle completely, fire has reportedly gutted parts of the palace of Muhammadu Sanusi II, the 14th Emir of Kano.

Sunday Times sources said the origin of the outbreak is yet to be ascertained as parts of one of the various palaces in the Kano Emirate where Muhammadu Sanusi II, the 14th Emir of Kano is currently residing is substantially affected.

The Chief of Staff to the Emir, Munir Sanusi Bayero, has also confirmed the incident in a statement.

No casualties have however been recorded as a result of the incident which occurred Friday night, but the affected Emirate is called Gidan Rumfa and it was founded by Emir Muhammadu Rumfa and located in the ancient city of Kano. It was originally constructed in the late 15th century.

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The incident occurred Friday night, around 11 pm, according to palace sources and affected the part of the palace at Kofar Kudu, where traditionally, the Emir holds court on Mondays.

Meanwhile, there are insinuations that the incident is not ordinary. A palace source confirmed that fire was set by some yet to be identified persons who forced open the doors to the palace and set the place ablaze.

“Having achieved that, they then locked the burning palace, after destroying the throne of the Emir, air conditioners, and other valuable items within the palace”, he said.

On its side, the Kano State Fire Service as at the time of this report claimed “they are not informed about the incident, as no distress call was placed as a result.

Reacting on the matter on Saturday, the Chief of Staff to the Emir, Munir Sanusi Bayero, confirmed the incident in a statement.

“A fire incident occurred at the outer court of the Palace, Kofar Kudu, on Saturday morning, July 13, 2024. Fortunately, there were no casualties, and the damage was minimal.”

Following the incident, the palace also announced that it is taking measures to ensure the safety and security of the occupants. Meanwhile, investigation into the cause of the incident is on.