By Idibia Gabriel, Kaduna
The crisis surrounding the royal family of the late Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero, took a significant turn as Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf extended a gesture of goodwill to the late Emir’s daughter, Zainab Jummai Ado Bayero, her brother, and their mother by settling their rent bill just hours before their eviction deadline.
The governor’s spokesperson, Sanusi Bature, arrived in Lagos early on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, to meet with the General Manager of Morning Side Suites, Sunel Kumar. The apartment, located in Victoria Island, had issued an eviction notice to the Bayero family, set to be executed by 3 PM.
According to Newsecho, an online news outlet based in Kano, Governor Yusuf’s intervention followed an outcry by Princess Zainab Bayero, who spoke on behalf of her mother and brother. They had been reportedly neglected by the royal family since the death of the late Emir Ado Bayero and were facing severe financial difficulties.
Since the demise of the late Emir, Zainab, her brother, and her mother have been struggling due to the denial of their inheritance and abandonment by the royal family. Until May 23, 2024, Zainab’s half-brothers, Aminu Ado Bayero and Nasiru Ado Bayero, were the Emirs of Kano and Bichi emirates, respectively.
Zainab Ado Bayero, a passionate documentary producer, recently worked on a personality profile and documentary of her late father, Ado Abdullahi Bayero.
Upon receiving the representative of the Kano State Governor in Lagos, Zainab and her mother expressed deep gratitude for the governor’s timely intervention. “You came at the right time. We were about to be forcefully evicted for our inability to pay the rent. Today was the final day, and we must move out by 3 PM. You arrived just fifteen minutes before the eviction,” Zainab stated.
Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, the governor’s representative, stated that the humanitarian intervention was necessary as the situation did not reflect well on the royal family and the state of Kano. “They are not only members of the royal family but also our Muslim sisters and brother currently in need,” Bature stated.
