Sanusi: Kano Attorney-General says former Emir was not banished

The Attorney-General of Kano, Ibrahim Muktar, has denied that the state government banished Muhammadu Sanusi II, the deposed Emir of Kano, from the state.

Recall that on Monday, March 9, 2020, the state executive council chaired by Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, dethroned Sanusi for alleged disrespect and insubordination and for not honouring events organised by the state.

Following his dethronement, the ex-monarch was initially moved to Loko community in Nasarawa, but was later relocated to another part of the state.

Speaking on the development on Channels Television, the attorney-general said the government only removed Sanusi from office for insubordination.

When asked if the Emir was truly banished from Kano, Muktar responded: “Of course, of course”. But when the question was asked a second time, Muktar denied the banishment, saying it was not part of the state government’s decision, TheCable, which monitored the programme, reports.

Dethroned Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi ll. [Premium Times] Pulse Nigeria

According to Muktar, the deposed Emir was only taken out of Kano by the police owing to intelligence reports.

“If you listen to the secretary to the state government when he was addressing the press on the issue of the removal of the emir from office, there was nowhere he stated that the emir was banished from Kano state,” he said.

“So, the decision of the government when the emir was removed on Monday was that he was removed from office and a new one appointed. The issue of banishment was not part of the decision of the Kano state government.

“We have been hearing from the media that he has been banished but what I know is that he was taken out of Kano state but banishment was not part of our decision. There is no such decision to the best of my knowledge," the attorney-general explained.

Muktar further stated that the state government's decision to dethrone Sanusi was only based on administrative grounds.

“The state government has not taken the law into its hands. Let me explain that the decision to remove the emir from office is administrative and was not based on the issues pending before the court. All the issues pending before the court have nothing to do with the removal of the emir or the dethronement,” he said.

Muktar added, “No decision on that actually (continuation of Sanusi’s probe). I cannot pre-empt the position of the government on whether investigation will stop or will continue.”

Meanwhile, Sanusi’s lead counsel, Abubakar Mahmoud has threatened to file legal action against Ganduje's government over the detention of the deposed monarch.