On April 4, 2025, the Inspector General of Police issued a formal invitation to His Royal Highness the Emir of Kano, requesting his attendance for an investigative discussion at Force CID in Abuja, scheduled for April 8, 2025. This write-up will focus on the propriety of honoring the invitation.
The underlying reason for this invitation stems from the Emir holding Sallah Durbar despite a ban on such gatherings.
While it is clear that the police do not possess the authority to ban the Durbar, they may impose restrictions for security reasons.
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However, it is evident that the motivation behind this ban is political, which raises the possibility of challenging the police’s directive. Notably, the police had prior knowledge of the security threats and presumably knew the individuals behind these threats, yet they failed to manage the situation effectively.
On Eid day, attending mosques for the observance of the two Raka’at prayer is a fundamental religious practice. Critics may question the Emir’s use of a horse, given police regulations prohibiting horse riding.
However, riding after the Eid prayer is a Sunnah of our noble Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). By virtue of Section 38 of the Nigerian Constitution, the Emir is entitled to practice his religion freely and the police do not have the authority to prevent the Emir from exercising this right.
We were informed by the Kano State Police Command that the entourage of the Emir was attacked, leading to injuries and the tragic death of one of the Emir’s guards.
In this instance, the Emir was invited for questioning. One could argue that if the Emir had not held the Durbar, the attack could have been averted. However, it is ultimately the police’s responsibility to prevent such incidents, not to prevent him from exercising his right to practice his religion.
Had the police done their job, this tragedy would not have occurred. The police should be held accountable but not the Emir, more particularly he is the victim of the incidence.
The Emir also paid a visit to his mother and the Governor of Kano State using Cars, without the traditional titleholders, horse riding, or any form of Durbar, as it was merely a visitation.
The visit was accompanied by his guards and supporters, and this should also be recognized as a legitimate religious observance and his right to movement and lawful assembly is in accordance with Sections 40 and 41 of the Constitution.
Constitutional rights are sacrosanct and guaranteed; they can only be tempered by the operation of a court of law. The police should have obtained a court order to derogate or restrain the Emir’s constitutional rights, failure of which renders their actions unjustified in the absence of such an order. Therefore, all actions of the Emir are legal.
The misuse of the police as instruments of political retribution is dangerous and damaging to our democracy. For instance, an Assistant Inspector General was demoted for commenting on the state of emergency proclamation in Rivers State. Under these circumstances, it is reasonable to presume that the Emir may not remain undisturbed.
In summary, the Emir has every right to challenge this invitation in court, as he is constitutionally entitled to practice his religion and has the right to free movement. I believe he has every justification to seek legal recourse and get justice.
Barrister Badamasi Suleiman Gandu.
Writes from Kano.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not in anyway or necessarily reflect the view of GLOBAL TRACKER.