JUST IN:Kano Isolation As FG Ban Private Jets From Landing in Kano

Chris Olukolade, the spokesperson for the Nigerian military revealed to Premium Times that the ban was for “security reasons” and declined to state the nature of the security concerns. But a source in the military has revealed that the directive is connected with Sunday’s crowning of Lamido Sanusi as the new Emir of Kano. “After the Emir was appointed, there were lots of protests from the group supporting the late Emir’s son. The security agencies must have felt that certain actions need to be taken,” the source, who declined to be named because he was not authorized to speak for the military, said.
Yakubu Dati, the spokesperson for the Nigerian aviation parastatals, said the military usually takes such decisions when there are security concerns. “We as an authority, we have not banned any plane from landing in Kano. You know there is civil aviation and there is also military aviation which supersedes ours,” Mr. Dati said. “They don’t consult anybody. They just go ahead with their decision since it is about security,” he added. The news of the ban came after Umaru Al-Makura, the Nasarawa State Governor, who was flying into the Kano airport from Makurdi on Monday morning, was denied clearance to land by the airport commander, PREMIUM TIMES learnt. On Sunday, several party chiefs from both the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, and the All Progressives Congress, APC, flew into Kano prior to the appointment of the new Emir.