NBA gives members security assurances for Kano conference amid Emirate crisis

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has assured its members of their safety in Kano ahead of the Section on Legal Practice (SLP) conference scheduled to take place in the city.

In a statement, NBA National Publicity Secretary Akorede Lawal said NBA President Yakubu Maikyau has received assurances from the Kano State Government and relevant law enforcement agencies regarding safety and security.

“Kano is safe and ready to host the NBA Section on Legal Practice (SLP) conference,” Mr Maikyau stated.

Mr Maikyau noted that the chairmen of the NBA branches in Kano, Ungoggo, and Dutse—Sagir Gezawa, Muhammed Jibrin, and Mustapha Kashim respectively — as well as several branch members and Aminu Gadanya, Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the NBA-SLP Conference, have all confirmed these assurances.

He encouraged all prospective attendees of the NBA-SLP Conference to proceed with their plans to attend the event.

The assurance comes amidst ongoing tensions in Kano over the emirate tussle. PREMIUM TIMES reported that the crisis began after Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf reinstated Lamido Sanusi as Emir of Kano on Friday, despite a court order restraining the action. The judge who issued the order was reportedly not physically present in Nigeria.

Mr Yusuf has indicated his intention to report the judge to the Nigeria Governors’ Forum for alleged abuse of court process. He made this statement while presenting the reinstatement letter to Mr Sanusi.

Before the presentation of the letter on Friday, the Federal High Court judge in Kano, on Thursday, restrained the governor and the state government from implementing the new emirate law under which Mr Sanusi was reinstated.

The new law, passed on Thursday by the state House of Assembly and immediately assented to by Governor Yusuf, dissolved the four emirates created out of the Kano emirate in 2019 and removed their emirs.

Meanwhile, the deposed Emir Aminu Bayero entered the state accompanied by military and law enforcement agencies, adhering to the court order.

Also, PREMIUM TIMES reported that the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) had expressed concern over the unfolding Kano State emirate crisis that led to the removal of the five first-class emirs in the state.

The forum’s spokesperson, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, in a statement on Friday, cautioned Governor Abba Yusuf and politicians involved to exercise restraint to avoid violence while trying to settle political scores.

A group of Islamic clerics in Kano State has also urged Governor Abba Yusuf to obey the court order against the deposition of emirs.

The statement commended the security agencies for maintaining peace amidst the ongoing emirship tussle in the state.