Bayero’s Daughter Seeks More Funds from Public, Says Money from Kano Gov Insufficient

The daughter of the former Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, Zainab Ado Bayero, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu; Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf; Senate President, Godswill Akpabio; and other concerned Nigerians for support for her family.

Her request comes nearly a decade after the death of her father, the longest-serving emir in Kano’s history.

Ado Bayero, who died at 83 on June 6, 2014, was a respected leader, having served as emir from 1963 until his passing.

Speaking during an interview with Premium Times on Friday, Zainab said her family had been struggling since her father’s death, with her, her mother, and brother facing difficulties to make ends meet and needing support.

Her words: “I know a lot of people will be very surprised that the daughter of an Emir is in this kind of situation. Being born into a polygamous home, there are a lot of intrigues and divisions. The whole thing started when my daddy died; his death left a void within the family. Everyone was alone, especially me, my mother, and my younger brother. We were not given a part of his (my father’s) estate, so we were left in a terrible situation, which has been going on for ten years.

“We’ve been trying to survive and find ways to get back on our feet and return to a proper environment—to have a home, not renting or moving from hotel to hotel. We would love the governor to help us buy or give us money to get a house here in Lagos. Since our father’s death, we believe it would be better to relocate to Lagos and start a new life for safety and freedom and to live our lives the way we want. However, with the current skyrocketing prices, we’re looking at around N150 million for a house in Lagos.”

The filmmaker also acknowledged that Governor Yusuf had previously helped them, but the money was insufficient.

She said, “I reached out to the governor in a publication on 23 June when my mother, brother, and I were staying at a hotel in VI. We haven’t had an apartment since last year and were behind on hotel bills. The next day, he sent someone to settle the bills and asked, ‘What do we need?’ We told him we wanted a home, for my brother to return to school, and something to do.

“He (the governor through his representative) gave us some money, but we didn’t meet the governor in person; it was all through an intermediary. We don’t know the governor’s plans, but he mentioned wanting to buy us a house in Kano.

“I told him, no, we want a house in Lagos. What he gave us wasn’t enough to rent a house for a year. So, we’ve been trying to find a place, but the funds aren’t sufficient. We’re in the same situation again.”

The late Emir’s daughter also requested the governor’s support for her filmmaking career and a biopic documentary.