Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, has issued a query to the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, over alleged financial misappropriation.
The Office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) issued the letter on behalf of the governor.
The development comes less than two days after Sanusi and Ganduje shook hands and prayed together, during the Eid-el-Fitr celebrations.
Subsequently, the state government cancelled the traditional Hawan Nassarawa ceremony, which is part of the traditional rites marking the Sallah celebration in Kano.
A government statement , late Wednesday, said the decision was informed by security concerns, which were not in favour of the traditional rite marked by the visit of the Emir of Kano to different parts of the state capital.
According to the statement which was signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Alhaji Abba Anwar, the decision was resolved during the State Security Council meeting which was attended by the security chiefs
The statement said that the resolution has been communicated to the Kano Metropolitan Emirate Council while restating government’s commitment to the maintenance of peace and security in the state.
Regardless, the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission had recommended the suspension of the emir, on the premise that, during its investigation, it discovered that N3.4 billion was misappropriated by the emirate, under Sanusi.
The amount was said to have been misappropriated between 2014 and 2017.
The query was reportedly served on the emir on Wednesday, but the emir’s Chief of Staff, Munir Sanusi, said it was received only yesterday.
Munir said the state government asked the emir to respond to the query within 24 hours. In his response to the query, Munir said the emirate council is studying its content
In the report of its investigation, the panel which probed the Kano emirate said over N1.4 billion was spent on “fraudulent and unappropriated expenditure”.
According to the report, the expenditure contravened the provisions of Section 120 of the 1999 constitution (as amended) and section 8 of the Kano state emirate council special fund law, 2004.
“It is also the opinion of this Commission, based on the available evidence, that Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II continued to undermine the investigation through various means which include giving instruction to all officers invited for clarification to shun the commission’s invitation,” the report read.
“The act is seriously affecting the process of our statutory responsibility and offends the provisions of Section 25 of the Commission’s enabling Law 2008 (as amended).”
Another source said the emir could be suspended after responding to the query.
The plot to remove Sanusi was allegedly hatched shortly before the March 9 governorship poll.
Last month, the governor signed into law, a bill from the House of Assembly splitting Kano emirate into five. The anti-corruption agency also revived the probe of the emirate under Sanusi.