Prominent Civil Rights Advocacy Group, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has warned against all kinds of misuse of the operatives of the armed forces of Nigeria just as the group described as unconstitutional and unprofessional, the deployment of soldiers to Kano city to side with a faction in the traditional rulership tussle tearing the ancient city apart.

HURIWA recalled that the abolition of the newly established four Kano emirate councils has provoked unprecedented developments in the annals of traditional institutions in

Northern Nigeria.

The 2019 law, masterminded by former Governor and National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, altered the age-old Kano traditional institution.

Attempting to correct the actions of the Ganduje-led APC on the emirate council, the state assembly on Thursday repealed the 2019 laws and subsequent amendments.

The new law states: This Bill may be cited as the Kano State Emirates Councils (Repeal) Bill, 2024. The Kano State Emirates Council Law, 2019 (1441 A.H.) dated 5th December 2019 (1441 A.H.), Kano State Emirs (Appointment and Deposition) (Amendment) Law, 2019 (1440 A.H.) dated 8th May 2019, and Kano State Emirate Council (Amendment) Law, 2020 (1442 A.H.) dated 5th December 2019 (1441 A.H.) are hereby repealed.

HURIWA however has condemned the reported deployment of armed military troops to interference in the Emirate dispute in Kano State just as the rights group said it is not the place of the Army to enforce the order of the Court of law because the Army is neither the court bailiffs nor are the operatives of the primary law enforcement agency which is the Nigeria Police Force.

HURIWA observed that there is nowhere in the specific provisions of the constitution on the legal functions of the armed forces whereby the Army is permitted to act as court bailiffs or enforcers of orders of court including the order purportedly issued by the Federal High Court in Kano stopping the reinstatement of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi following the Deposition by the Kano State House of Assembly of the former Emir Aminu Ado Bayero.

HURIWA pointed out that chapter 6. Part 3. Section 217. Establishment And Composition Of The Armed Force Of The Federation, specify as follows: (1) There shall be an armed forces for the Federation which shall consist of an army, a navy, an Air Force and such other branches of the armed forces of the Federation as may be established by an Act of the National Assembly.

(2) The Federation shall, subject to an Act of the National Assembly made in that behalf, equip and maintain the armed forces as may be considered adequate and effective for the purpose of

(a) defending Nigeria from external aggression;

(b) maintaining its territorial integrity and securing its borders from violation on land, sea, or air;

(c) suppressing insurrection and acting in aid of civil authorities to restore order when called upon to do so by the President, but subject to such conditions as may be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly; and

(d) performance such other functions as may be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly.

(3) The composition of the officer corps and other ranks of the armed forces of the Federation shall reflect the federal character of Nigeria.

HURIWA therefore cautioned politicians and particularly president Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is the Commander-In-Chief of the armed forces of Nigeria to stop playing with fire by illegally deploying the Army to allegedly enforce court order in Kano's Emirate tussle just as the Rights group stated that the military has consistently been misused by the current administration which is a very dangerous precedence that is being set by the government. HURIWA cited the example of the illegal closure of the Abuja Banex Plaza Wuse two telephone market and the attack on Okuama community in Delta state as key examples of gross misuse of the members of the armed forces of Nigeria.

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