Less than a week after he got his letter of appointment as the Emir of Kontagora, a High Court in Minna, Niger State capital has restrained Mohammed Baru to stop parading himself as the seventh Sarkin Sudan (Emir) of Kontagora.
The order followed an ex-parte motion filed by 15 contestants for the throne, who faulted the selection of the emir.
The move is not a surprise to watchers as some of the contestants had protested his selection, a controversy that led to the removal of a commissioner by State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello.
The losers prayed the court for an interim injunction restraining Barau as the substantive Emir of Kontagora pending the determination of the motion on notice before it.
The defendants in the motion were the new emir, Mohammed Barau Kontagora, the Attorney General of Niger State, and the Commissioner for Local Government, Community Development and Chieftaincy Affairs.
Justice Abdullahi Mikailu restrained the first defendant, Mohammed Barau Kontagora, from parading himself as the 7th Emir “pending the hearing and determination of the plaintiff/applicants’ Motion on notice dated and filed on 11/10/2021.
“An order of interim injunction is hereby made and issued retraining all the defendants/respondents, their agents, privies and/or any other person by whatever name called acting on the authorities or persons claiming and/or parading or presenting or installing the 1st defendant by presenting a staff of office as the 7th Sarkin Sudan of Kontagora pending the hearing and determination of the plaintiffs/applicants’ motion on notice dated and filed on 11/10/2022.” the court ruled.
The case was adjourned till 20 October 2021 for further hearing.