The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has raised an alarm over alleged plan by Governor Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State to depose the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III.

The Executive Director of MURIC, Prof. Isiaq Akintola, raised the alarm in a statement on Monday.

The development is coming amid the controversy and tension over the deposition of some monarchs in Kano State.

Governor Aliyu had earlier deposed 15 traditional rulers for various offences.

In his statement, Akintola said Nigerian Muslims reject any thought of deposing the Sultan.

“Feelers in circulation indicate that the governor may descend on the Sultan of Sokoto any moment from now using any of the flimsy excuses used to dethrone the 15 traditional rulers whom he removed earlier.

“MURIC advises the governor to look before he leaps. The Sultan’s stool is not only traditional. It is also religious. In the same vein, his jurisdiction goes beyond Sokoto. It covers the whole of Nigeria. He is the spiritual head of all Nigerian Muslims.

“Therefore, any governor who tampers with the stool of the Sultan will have Nigerian Muslims to reckon with because the Sultan combines the office of the Sultan of Sokoto and that of the President General of the NSCIA,” Akintola said.

The MURIC boss warned that Governor Aliyu should not force Nigerian Muslims to take a drastically revolutionary measure.

He said having a traditional ruler as leader has been a condition Nigerian Muslims accepted a long time ago as a necessary weakness in the structure which they have to live with.

He said, “A military governor, Col. Yakubu Muazu, exposed this soft underbelly when he deposed Sultan Ibrahim Dasuki on 20th April, 1996. Nigerian Muslims will be forced to make a hard decision if Sokoto governors continue to diminish the authority of the Sultan.

Former Council Chairmen of 21 out of the 23 Local Governments Area (LGA) in Rivers State on Monday staged a protest at their various council areas. 

In Buguma, council headquarters of the Asari-Toru LGA, former Chairman Onengiyeofori George, alongside his supporters marched through the streets of the town as they gyrate to songs in solidarity with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

They waved placards with inscriptions asking the police to continue occupying the council headquarters. Some of the inscriptions read, “Sim Fubara Can’t Continue to Act As He likes” and “There’s No Vacancy in Asari-Toru Council”.

The former Council Chairmen of 21 out of the 23 Local Governments in Rivers state are protesting at their various council areas this morning.#CTCTweets pic.twitter.com/8qPDlwxNuS

The pro-Wike former LGA bosses protested in their local councils despite an advisory against protests issued by the Rivers State Police Command.

At Asari-Toru LGA, the protest almost turned violent when some men believed to be operatives of Asari Dokubo’s private military company colloquially known as Amama Soldiers attempted to attack the protesters.

The Amama Soldiers were swiftly restrained by policemen who were very alert. The demonstrators later presented a protest letter to the police.

The protest in Rivers state almost turned violent when some men believed to be operatives of Asari Dokubo’s private military company colloquially known as Amama Soldiers attempted to attack the group.

They were swiftly restrained by the police who were very alert#CTVTweets pic.twitter.com/qn2eWRuUHy

Also in Abonnema, the Akuku-Toru LGA council headquarters, some persons staged a protest, backing the continued closure of council premises by the police.

The police took over the council secretariats of the 23 LGAs in the oil-rich South-South last Tuesday following the crisis that erupted over the three-year tenure expiration of the former LGA chairmen. Three deaths have been recorded in the wake of the pandemonium.

Governor Siminalayi Fubara immediately sworn in 23 caretaker chairmen but the police have continued to barricade the council premises in all the LGAs preventing both parties from gaining access to avert possibilities of break down of law and order.

The Kano police command says additional security operatives have been deployed to the palaces of Muhammadu Sanusi, Emir of Kano; and Aminu Bayero, the deposed Emir.

Sanusi currently resides at the official lodge of the emir in Kofar Kudu, while Bayero occupies the Nassarawa LGA mini palace.

Speaking in an interview with NAN on Monday, Usaini Gumel, Kano commissioner of police, said security operatives were deployed to “handle any unforeseen circumstances” in the palaces.

The Kano CP urged the public to support the police and provide information that could aid the maintenance of law and order in the state.

On Sunday, police personnel stormed the emir’s palace in Kano and displaced the local guards watching over Sanusi.

GAME OF THRONES

There has been palpable tension in Kano since Sanusi was reinstated as emir, following the dethronement of Bayero by the state government.

On May 23, the Kano house of assembly passed an amended bill, which Abba Yusuf, the governor, signed into law.

The law repealed the 2019 version which divided the Kano emirate into five jurisdictions and was relied upon to dethrone Sanusi as emir in 2020.

On the same day the law was repealed, Sanusi was reinstated as Emir of Kano by kingmakers and the governor.

On Thursday, the federal high court in Kano nullified all actions on the emirship tussle as taken by the state government.

Muhammed Liman, the presiding judge, held that the defendants were aware of an interim order previously granted by the court but ignored it and implemented the Kano Emirates Council Law 2024.

The judge, however, ruled that his order did not affect the validity of the emirate law passed by the state house of assembly.

The Kano police command had also said it would not comply with the directive of the state government on the eviction of Bayero from the Nassarawa palace.

Bayero moved into the LG palace hours after he was replaced by Sanusi.

Since his return to the Nassarawa palace, Bayero has been protected by a retinue of soldiers and police officers.