Heightened tension enveloped Kano on Sunday following a violent clash between supporters of the 15th Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, and those loyal to the reinstated 16th Emir, Muhammadu Sanusi II, near the Emir’s Palace at Kofar-Kudu.

The incident has deepened concerns among residents over the escalating power tussle between the two traditional leaders, resulting in chaos and conflicting accounts of what transpired.

In a statement issued by the Kano Emirate Media Team on Monday and signed by Sadam Yakasai, Emir Sanusi’s camp accused Bayero’s supporters of attacking Gidan Rumfa, the official residence of the Emir, while Sanusi was reportedly away.

“They broke the gate and attacked the palace guards, injuring some of them. They also vandalised police vehicles stationed at the palace,” Yakasai alleged. He further claimed that Bayero deliberately passed through the palace area instead of taking the usual route from Koki to Nassarawa in an act of provocation.

Yakasai also accused the deposed Emir of consistently using the route to intimidate the residents of the area and condemned what he described as a direct escalation of Bayero’s actions against Sanusi.

Attempts to reach Bayero’s spokesperson, Abubakar Kofar-Naisa, for comment were unsuccessful as calls to his phone were unanswered.

However, an eyewitness, Muhammed Ibrahim, who claimed to be part of Emir Bayero’s entourage, denied that Bayero’s supporters initiated the violence. He described the incident as a confrontation sparked by ‘unknown miscreants’ who attempted to block Bayero’s convoy as it passed through the Kofar-Kudu area.

“We were returning to the Nassarawa Palace after a condolence visit when some hoodlums armed with dangerous weapons tried to block our path. Supporters of Emir Bayero had to confront them, and they cleared the way. Emir Bayero left the scene unhurt,” Ibrahim said.

He also denied claims that palace guards were injured, noting that it was the intervention of the police using tear gas that eventually dispersed the attackers.

In response to the incident, the Kano State Police Command confirmed the altercation. Spokesperson SP Abdullahi Haruna stated that the Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, has constituted a panel to investigate the incident and uncover its root cause.

The clash is the latest in the ongoing struggle for the revered Kano throne following the reinstatement of Muhammadu Sanusi II by the Kano State Government in May, a move that has continued to spark division among supporters of the two rival emirs.