Desmond Mgboh, Kano
The deposed Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi, began his journey into exile at 6:40pm yesterday, after hours of scuffle with security officials.
A top security officers who was part of the team that escorted him to the airport said he departed the state through the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport aboard an aircraft number N888E which was chartered by the state government.
Another chartered flight conveyed his entire household made up of his wives and children out of the state.
According to the source they were accompanied by about eight policemen who will most likely stay with them for a while in Nassarawa State
It was gathered that the flight will take them to Abuja airport from where they will travel by road to Nassarawa State.
Sources said that it was not easy getting the monarch to accept the weight of what had happened adding that he initially refused the security officials access to the palace.
The source further revealed that reason however prevailed after the security officers led by the Kano State Commissioner of Police , Habu Sani held discussions with some influential friends of the monarch who were with him in solidarity at the time of his deposition.
Among those who brokered the dialogue and helped achieved a head way were the former Nigerian Bar Association, president A T Mahmoud SAN and his Chief of Staff.
“Following their intervention, the deposed Emir accepted to submit to the request of the government to proceed on exile*
He then accepted to sign the letter from the government himself, after which he quoted a verse of the Holy Quoran in the said letter”.
“It was then that he requested for some minutes to pack some of his belongings. We waited for about 49 minutes before we commenced the journey to the airport,” said the security officer who saw the Emir off Kano.