Nigerian police ban Kano Eid parade as rival emirs dispute throne

Authorities on Friday announced the suspension of the massive horse procession by the traditional emir and his courtiers that celebrates Eid al-Fitr, when Muslims end their Ramadan fasting.

The Durbar -- also held each Eid al-Adha, linked to the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca -- attracts visitors from across the region as well as Western tourists, who throng the expanse outside the palace as royals and courtiers display equestrian skills in homage to the emir.

But two royals have been locked in a legal battle for the influential traditional seat, polarising support along political lines between the local and federal authorities.

This year, rivals Aminu Ado Bayero and Muhammadu Sanusi II had planned competing Durbars, heightening tension in the city over fear of possible violence during the celebrations.

"The ban on Durbar activities became necessary after consultations and obtaining the relevant security situation in the state," Ibrahim Bakori, Kano's police chief, told reporters in his office.

"The rising tension and uncertainties around the Durbar activities in Kano resulted in the decision," Bakori said.

Police previously banned the Durbar in June 2024, citing security concerns amid the feud, but causing outrage among residents in the city.

The month prior, Kano state Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf had removed Bayero as the emir and returned Sanusi to the throne, four years after he was deposed.

The two remain locked in a legal fight over who is the rightful emir, a position that holds no constitutional power in Nigeria but wields huge religious and social influence.

To this day, Sanusi lives in the emir's palace, where he holds daily court, while Bayero lodges in a royal guest house a few kilometres (miles) away, where he receives homage from his supporters.

Both palaces are heavily guarded by military and police personnel.

Sanusi is backed by Yusuf and his opposition New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) which Bayero enjoys the support of the All Peoples Congress (APC)-led central government.
Previous bans rare
Bayero cancelled his plans a day before the police banned the processions.

The police ban marks the fourth cancellation of the Durbar in the city in a decade.

In 2015, it was cancelled over fears jihadist violence, following a Boko Haram attack the year prior on the central mosque outside the emir's palace that killed around 200 worshippers.

In September 2012, the Durbar was suspended for security concerns. Boko Haram had attacked the city the previous January, killing hundreds.

The Durbar originated in Kano but is conducted by emirs in various cities across Muslim-majority northern Nigeria.

In December last year UNESCO added the celebrations to its intangible cultural heritage list.