The police in Kano have suspended the city’s famed Durbar festival on account of the ongoing dispute between two traditional royals.
The police made the announcement late on Thursday, suspending the colourful annual horse procession by the traditional Emir and his courtiers to mark the Muslim Eid celebrations of sacrifice.
The incumbent Emir was removed by the state assembly and his predecessor was reappointed by the state governor, sparking a legal battle between the two emirs.
Many Muslims in Kano cannot imagine Eid celebrations without a Durbar.
The police cited security concerns for banning all Durbar activities, making it the second time in a decade that the traditional horse carnival has been suspended.
The Durbar was similarly cancelled in 2015 over security fears after Boko Haram militants attacked the central mosque outside the emir’s palace in November 2014, killing around 200 worshippers.
