Zainab Ado Bayero, the daughter of the late Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, has publicly requested additional assistance from President Bola Tinubu, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and other concerned Nigerians. This plea comes as the family faces severe financial difficulties and imminent eviction from their current residence in Lagos.
Two months ago, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf intervened to prevent the eviction of Zainab, her mother, and her brother from their Lagos apartment. The governor’s spokesperson, Mr. Sanusi Bature, arrived in Lagos on June 25, 2024, to meet with Mr. Sunel Kumar, the General Manager of the apartment building where the family had been living.
This action followed a public outcry by Zainab, who had highlighted their dire situation after the death of her father and alleged neglect by the royal family.
Zainab expressed her gratitude to the governor’s representative for arriving just in time to prevent the eviction.
“You came at the right time, we were about to be forcefully evicted from the facility for our inability to pay the rent, they said today is final, we must move out by 3:00 pm and you came just fifteen minutes to the time, they have already mobilised youths to remove us out of the apartment, Alhamdulillah for your arrival,” Zainab reportedly stated.
Despite the assistance received from the governor, Zainab revealed in a recent interview with Premium Times that the support was not enough to resolve their ongoing struggles.
She noted that their financial problems have persisted since her father’s death, leaving them in a precarious situation.
The family’s current accommodation, a hotel in Lagos, is set to expire on August 23, and they face the prospect of being without a place to stay.
Zainab Ado Bayero said, “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.”
“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.”
