A fire outbreak has reportedly destroyed a section of the Gidan Rumfa palace where the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi resides.
The incident suspected to have been set by unidentified persons occurred late Friday night around 11 pm.
However,s reliable source within the palace disclosed that the fire severely affected the palace located at Kofar Kudu, a site where the Emir Sanusi Lamido traditionally holds court sessions every Monday.
The source stated “It was the palace at Kofar Kudu. You know the palace has an entrance from inside while the main entrance is from the front (outside).
He added that the door was forced open and what was suspected was that they broke in, set the fire, and locked the door.
Despite the severity of the incident, the Kano State Fire Service was not alerted.
Saminu Yusif Abdullahi, the Public Relations Officer of the Kano State Fire Service, confirmed that the command was unaware of the fire as no emergency calls were received.
However, the Chief of Staff to the Emir, Munir Sanusi Bayero, Dan Buram Kano, confirmed the fire in a statement.
He said “On Saturday, 13th July 2024 morning, a fire incident occurred at the outer court of His Highness’s Palace, Kofar Kudu. fortunately, there were no casualties, and the damage was minimal,”
The Emir chief of staff, however, assured that the palace is taking all necessary measures to ensure the safety and security of its occupants.
We are also investigating the cause of the fire and taking steps to prevent such incidents from happening in the future,” he stated
Bayero then disclosed that “The Kano Emirate Council is working closely with security agencies to identify those responsible for the suspected arson and to bolster security around the historic palace.”
Credit: Nigerian Tribune