Zainab Bayero, daughter of the late Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero, has reached out to Governor Abba Yusuf for assistance, seeking help with housing and financial support for her family. Her request comes nearly a decade after her father’s passing.
Ado Bayero, who served as the longest-reigning emir in Kano’s history, passed away at the age of 83 on June 6, 2014. His reign, which spanned from 1963 until his death, left a lasting legacy in the region. He was buried according to Islamic rites in Kano, and his memory continues to be honored.
In an interview with Premium Times on Friday, August 23, Zainab revealed the challenges her family has faced since the death of her father. She shared that she, along with her mother and younger brother, have struggled to make ends meet and are now seeking support.
“I understand that people might be surprised to hear that the daughter of an emir is facing such difficulties,” Zainab said.
“Coming from a polygamous family, there have been many complexities and divisions. When my father passed away, it left a void in our lives. My mother, brother, and I were particularly affected. We were not given any part of his estate, leaving us in a difficult situation that has persisted for ten years.”
She further explained that her family has been trying to rebuild their lives but continues to face hardships. “We’ve been doing our best to survive, but we’ve been without a permanent home, moving from place to place. We hope the governor can help us secure a house in Lagos. Since my father’s death, we believe relocating to Lagos would offer us safety and freedom to live the life we want. However, with the current high costs, we estimate needing around N150 million for a house in Lagos.”
Zainab acknowledged that Governor Yusuf had provided some assistance in June, but she noted that it was insufficient to resolve their ongoing challenges.
“While we are grateful for the governor’s help, the financial support was not enough to cover our housing and other essential expenses, and we find ourselves in the same difficult situation.”
In addition to her appeal to Governor Yusuf, Zainab also reached out to President Bola Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and other compassionate Nigerians for support. “In June, I contacted the governor when we were staying at a hotel in Victoria Island. We hadn’t had a proper place to live since last year and were falling behind on our hotel bills. The governor sent someone to settle our bills and asked what we needed. We expressed our desire for a home, for my brother to return to school, and for some means to support ourselves.”
She continued, “The governor, through his representative, provided us with some money, but we did not meet him in person. We communicated through an intermediary. The governor mentioned possibly buying us a house in Kano, but I told him we prefer to live in Lagos. The money he gave us wasn’t enough to rent a house for a year, so we are still struggling to find a place to stay.”
Zainab also shared that their current hotel booking has expired, and they will have to check out on Saturday, August 24, leaving them without a place to stay once again.
