By Abiola Olawale
Princess Zainab Jummai Ado Bayero, daughter of the 13th Emir of Kano, late Alhaji Ado Bayero, has cried out for help as she says her family is facing the threat of eviction from their apartment in Lagos state.
The daughter of the late monarch called out to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State for help to sort out their financial issues.
Zainab, who spoke with the press on Friday, noted that though Yusuf had helped her family in the past, it wasn’t enough to settle their bills.
She added that the financial support for housing and other expenses was insufficient to alleviate their financial burdens, and they have returned to the same situation.
She explained that her mother and her brother have been facing financial difficulties since her father’s death.
She said: “I know a lot of people will be very surprised that the daughter of an Emir is in this kind of situation. Being born into a polygamous home, there are a lot of intrigues and divisions. The whole thing started when my daddy died; his death left a void within the family. Everyone was alone, especially me, my mother and my younger brother. We were not given a part of his (my father’s) estate, so we were left in a terrible situation, which has been going on for ten years.
“We’ve been trying to survive and find ways to get back on our feet and return to a proper environment—to have a home, not renting or moving from hotel to hotel. We would love the governor to help us buy or give us money to get a house here in Lagos. Since our father’s death, we believe it would be better to relocate to Lagos and start a new life for safety and freedom and to live our lives the way we want. However, with the current skyrocketing prices, we’re looking at around N150 million for a house in Lagos.
“I reached out to the governor in a publication on 23 June when my mother, brother, and I were staying at a hotel in VI. We haven’t had an apartment since last year and were behind on hotel bills. The next day, he sent someone to settle the bills and asked, ‘What do we need?’ We told him we wanted a home, for my brother to return to school, and something to do.”
She explained further: “He (the governor through his representative) gave us some money, but we didn’t meet the governor in person; it was all through an intermediary. We don’t know the governor’s plans, but he mentioned wanting to buy us a house in Kano. I told him, no, we want a house in Lagos. What he gave us wasn’t enough to rent a house for a year. So, we’ve been trying to find a place, but the funds aren’t sufficient. We’re in the same situation again.”
