The Nigerian Army has cleared the air on the presence of soldiers in Kano State amid the ongoing scramble for the throne of Emir in the state.

Within Nigeria recalls that Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, Emir of Kano, and Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, dethroned Emir of Kano, have been embroiled in a royal tussle following the State government move to remove the latter and reinstate the former.

The Kano House of Assembly had abrogated the law which former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje used to depose and exile Sanusi in 2020, paving the way for reinstatement of the monarch.

However, event started taking an unsettling turn when Ado Bayero, who was outside the state when he was dethroned, returned to the ancient city and made his way to a mini palace in Nassarawa.

Reacting to the development, Governor Yusuf directed the emir’s arrest, but the police ignored him, insisting that Bayero remains emir and vows to enforce court order stopping Sanusi’s reinstatement.

Shortly after the arrest order, men of the Nigerian Army moved to the mini palace to secure the place, while the main palace was guarded by vigilantes and hunters.

This had given the impression that the Army was on the side of the dethroned monarch.

Civil society groups, activists, lawyers and many others had condemned the military action, saying such has no place in a democracy.

But in a statement on Sunday night, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, Director of Army Public Relations, said the army’s mission in Kano was to forestall break down of law and orser as a result of emirship tussle.

He disclosed that the military is not involved in the emirate tussle.

“Contrary to insinuations by the Kano state chapter of the Nigerian Bar Association as published on 26 May 2024, troops of the Nigerian Army have not been involved in the Kano state emirate tussle and are not involved in enforcing any court order. They have only taken proactive steps to checkmate any possible breakdown or breach of the security that may be occasioned by the Kano Emirship tussle.”

“The issue of paramount concern to the Nigerian Army and other security agencies is the prevention of breakdown of law and order in the state, which could be taken advantage of by adversarial non-state actors. The military would imminently intervene when it becomes apparent that the intensity of the security situation becomes overwhelming for the police.

“All the Army is doing at this stage is to monitor the situation as it unfolds and be on standby in the event of any escalation that could threaten the security of the state and the region in general.”