By Abiola Olawale
In a surprising move, the Kano State Police Command has placed a ban on all Durbar activities throughout the state ahead of the upcoming Edel-El-Kabir celebrations.
The ban comes after the deposed Emir of Kano Aminu Ado Bayero announced that he was going to lead the durbar procession in the state.
The deposed monarch, in a circular, had summoned district heads to attend the durbar procession in observance of the upcoming Edel-El-Kabir celebrations.
However, the Kano Police Command on Thursday said it has restricted all Durbar activities throughout the State for the upcoming Eid-el-Kabir (Sallah) following an intelligence report.
The police said the decision is part of enhanced security measures to ensure public safety and peace in the State during the festive period.
In a statement released on Thursday by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa said: “This measure is taken as a result of a series of security reports obtained and wide consultations made with relevant security stakeholders to ensure the safety of the larger community.
“Worshippers are advised to conduct their normal Eid Prayers at the various designated Eid praying grounds, traditionally done in the past,” the statement noted.
The New Diplomat reports that this is the first time the durbar has been cancelled since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
The three-day durbar is the largest festival in the state with a splendid display of horseback riding and cultural activities that always draw a large crowd from within and outside Kano State.
The New Diplomat reports that Kano State has been witnessing massive games of thrones after Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf signed some changes in the Kano State Emirate Council Bill into Law 2024.
The newly- signed law dissolved four new Emirates in the State and restored Kano Emirate to its pre-2019 status on Thursday, May 23.
Yusuf also issued a reappointment letter to Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi II on Friday, May 24, as the new Emir of Kano, and ordered the Emirs affected by the new law to vacate their palaces within 48 hours.
The crisis had further escalated with conflicting court orders originating from both the Federal High Court in Kano state and the Kano State High Court.
