Emir Sanusi’s many sins that cost him his throne

The Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi has been dethroned by the Kano State Government.

Recall that two allegations were successively levelled against him in the last one week. First, the Chairman, Kano Society for Promotion of Education and Culture, KSPEC, Mohammed Muktar, and another person, Dalhatu Abubakar, had petitioned Kano State House of Assembly, accusing the monarch of official misconduct.

On the heels of that, he was accused of being involved in N2.2billion land scam by Kano State Public Complaint and Anti-Corruption Commission. The Commission commenced a fresh investigation on the Emir over allegation of illegal sales of landed property.

It had issued the Emir an invitation to appear before it on March 5, 2020, for interrogations. This came two days after the state House of Assembly directed its Committee on Public Petition to also investigate a petition filed against the monarch.

Briefing newsmen last week, Chairman of the Commission, Muhuyi Rimingado, who insisted the agency is empowered to open fresh investigation on anybody found wanting, said Sanusi has a fresh case to answer.

The Kano monarch had on March 6, 2020, filed an exparte motion before the court against Kano State Public Complaint and Anti-Corruption Commission (1st respondent), Muhyi Magaji Rimingado, Attorney General, Kano State, and the Governor as 2nd, 3rd and 4th respondents respectively.

Though Kano State government had at different times dismissed insinuations that it was behind the travails of the monarch, observers still point accusing fingers to that direction.

Muhammadu Sanusi II ascended the throne in 2014, following the death of his granduncle Ado Bayero. His grandfather Muhammadu Sanusi I reigned from 1953 to 1963, when he was deposed by Premier Ahmadu Bello. His father Aminu Sanusi was Chiroma of Kano.

Prior to his accession, Sanusi was an economist and banker. He served as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria from 2009 to 2014, when he was suspended by President Goodluck Jonathan after raising the alarm on the US$20 billion NNPC scandal.