Kano Emirate Crisis: Lawmakers delay resumption from recess over ‘bomb scare’

The Kano State House of Assembly has not reopened for plenary sittings, three weeks after members were due to resume from a two-week recess.

Sources said the delay was because of a warning by the police of a plot by miscreants to bomb the assembly complex.

The warning came amid a crisis in the state over the scrapping of four emirates and deposition of all the emirs in the state.

The crisis began after the lawmakers repealed the State Emirate Council Law 2019 under which former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje created the four emirates.

The lawmakers proceeded on the two-week recess on 23 May, the same day they scrapped Bichi, Rano, Gaya, and Karaye emirates.

Governor Abba Yusuf, also on the same day, assented to the bill and reinstated Lamido Sanusi as the sole emir of Kano the following day.

However, one of the dethroned emirs, Aminu Ado-Bayero, has challenged his removal in court and relocated to the mini palace of Kano at the Nasarawa GRA.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the lawmakers have not resumed from the recess since 23 May because of the security report.

The former police commissioner in the state, Hussaini Gumel, had on 26 May said security agents had intelligence report that some miscreants were planning to bomb the assembly complex.

“Some are trying to unleash terror in the state by embarking on targeted attacks at locations, particularly the House of Assembly; as well as some prominent locations within the state capital. This Intelligent report had been verified by so many sources.

“We have mentioned that anybody who want to test the ground, the security agencies in the state have the capacity to dealt ruthlessly with these enemies of the state, the miscreants.

“The issue of chieftaincy affairs, it’s an issue that has been perfected by the executive arm of the government, anybody who disagree with the decision should approach the court. We are standing by the law and we are going to enforce the existing law”, the police chief said while assuring of adequate security at the State Assembly.

Reporters covering the assembly have been asked to stay away until the return of the lawmakers.

“We were told that the lawmaker representing Dala Local Government Area, Lawan Hussaini, who sponsored the bill for the scrapping of the emirates, has gone into hiding amidst backlash.

“Other lawmakers under the platform of the New Nigeria People’s Party ((NNPP) from the scrapped emirates are avoiding their constituencies in fear of attack”, a source at the Assembly, said asking not to be named for fear of victimisation.

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However, the Assembly’s spokesperson, Kamaludden Shawai, on Monday, said the absence of the lawmakers has nothing to do with the bomb scare.

He said the security issues raised by the police had been addressed and the lawmakers will soon resume for plenary.

Mr Shawai said the assembly has not resumed because most of the lawmakers travelled to Saudi Arabia for Hajj.