Prominent businessman and founder of Stanbic IBTC, Atedo Peterside, has criticised the Nigeria Police Force for summoning the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, to Abuja over a murder incident during last Sunday’s Eid-el-Fitr celebrations in Kano.
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In a post on his official X account on Sunday, Peterside described the action as unnecessary and a form of harassment.
“What is @PoliceNG trying to turn Nigeria into? Has Nigeria become a Police State?” he asked.
“Is there any question that the Commissioner of Police cannot legitimately ask the Emir of Kano in Kano on behalf of his Abuja bosses? Invitations across state boundaries are a form of ‘harassment’ and should be discouraged in the 21st century.”
Peterside’s comment followed reports that the Emir was summoned to appear before the Force Intelligence Department headquarters in Abuja on April 8 over a killing that occurred during his Sallah procession in Kano.
The invitation, conveyed via a letter dated April 4 and signed by Commissioner of Police Olajide Ibitoye on behalf of the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Force Intelligence Department, directed the Emir to attend an investigative meeting regarding the incident.
Violence reportedly broke out shortly after the Emir returned from Eid prayers. While he had gone to the prayer ground on foot, he returned to the palace on horseback, participating in a traditional procession that defied a prior government ban on the annual durbar festival.
The procession turned chaotic when individuals in the crowd threw sachets of water at the Emir’s entourage. Security operatives fired teargas to disperse the crowd, during which one person, a palace guard, was fatally stabbed. Several others were injured.
Before the Emir’s invitation, the police had summoned one of his senior aides, Wada Isyaku (the Shamakin Kano), for questioning over his role in the procession. Authorities said the durbar had been prohibited to ensure public order during the celebration.
Reacting further to the summons, Chidi Odinkalu, a prominent human rights advocate, echoed Peterside’s concerns, warning that the police action appeared politically motivated and could destabilize the already sensitive situation in Kano.
“It looks like some people are bent on using the Police to foment crisis in Kano at all costs,” Odinkalu said.
The Kano State Police Command had earlier confirmed the arrest of a 20-year-old suspect linked to the fatal stabbing at the Kofar Mata Eid Ground.
While the police insist that the Emir’s invitation is part of a standard investigation, critics argue that dragging a revered traditional ruler across state lines could inflame tensions and undermine the respect traditionally accorded to the emirate.
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