Kano, a city rich in history and tradition, has seen many of its traditional rulers, the Emirs, face turbulent times marked by frequent depositions and removals.
On Thursday, the Kano State House of Assembly repealed the law establishing additional emirates, dissolving all four newly created emirate councils. This decision followed deliberations during a plenary session in the House.
Historian and author Malam Adnan Bawa Bello, in a post on Kano Chronicle, detailed that the first recorded deposition of a Sarki (Emir) in Kano occurred between 1247 and 1290, when Guguwa Dan Gijimasu was removed from his throne.
Over the centuries, numerous Emirs have faced similar fates, some ruling for mere days before being ousted. For instance, the second recorded deposition was of Dakauta Dan Abdullahi Baja in 1452, who ruled for just one day. Sarki Atuma Dan Dakauta ruled for seven days in 1452, and Sarki Yakubu Dan Kisoke was dethroned in 1565 after four months and 29 days, later declining an offer for reinstatement.
Other notable depositions include Sarki Abubakar Kado Dan Rumfa, who ruled from 1565 to 1573 before being removed, and Sarki Alhaji Dan Kutumbi, who was deposed in 1649 and settled in Dan-Zaki village in Gezawa. Sarki Kukuna Dan Alhaji was deposed and reinstated in 1651-1652, while Sarki Soyaki Dan Shekarau ruled for only three months before being sacked in 1652.
After a 250-year respite from depositions, the British colonial authorities deposed Sarkin Kano Alu in 1903, exiling him to Yola and later Lokoja, where he died in the 1920s. Acting Sarki Waziri Allah bar Sarki was removed in 1909 by the British Resident Officer in Kano, Mr. Temple.
More recently, Sarkin Kano Sanusi I was deposed in 1963 following financial misappropriation charges by the Muffet Committee of Enquiry. Sarkin Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II (Sanusi Lamido Sanusi) was deposed by Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje on March 9, 2020, and exiled to Loko in Nasarawa State.
The recent repeal of the Kano Emirates Council Law by the state House of Assembly abolished the establishment of five new Emirates, effectively dissolving all offices established under the repealed law.
