Alhaji Hajji (; sometimes spelled Hajjeh, Hadji, Haji, Alhaji, Al-Hadj, Al-Haj or El-Hajj) is an honorific title which is given to a Muslim who has successfully completed the Hajj to Mecca. Etymology ''Hajji'' is derived from the Arabic ' (), which i ...

Sir Muhammadu Sanusi I

KBE KBE may refer to: * Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, post-nominal letters * Knowledge-based engineering Knowledge-based engineering (KBE) is the application of knowledge-based systems technology to the domain o ...

() was the Acting

Governor of Northern Nigeria The High Commissioner or Governor of Northern Nigeria, originally the High Commissioner of the Northern Nigeria Protectorate, after 1914 the Lieutenant Governor, Chief Commissioner, or Governor General of the Northern Region, Nigeria, Northern P ...

(1957) and

Emir of Kano The Kano Emirate was a Muslim state in northern Nigeria formed in 1805 during the Fulani jihad when the Muslim Hausa-led Sultanate of Kano was deposed and replaced by a new emirate which became a vassal state of the Sokoto Caliphate. During an ...

from 1954 to 1963. He was the eldest son of Emir Abdullahi Bayero. He was a powerful Emir that had substantial influence in the colonial

Northern Nigeria Northern Nigeria (or Arewa, Arewancin Nijeriya) was an autonomous division within Nigeria, distinctly different from the southern part of the country, with independent customs, foreign relations and security structures. In 1962, it acquired t ...

. He hosted a grand durbar festival for

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

when she visited

Kano Kano may refer to: Places *Kano State, a state in Northern Nigeria *Kano (city), a city in Nigeria, and the capital of Kano State ** Kingdom of Kano, a Hausa kingdom between the 10th and 14th centuries ** Sultanate of Kano, a Hausa kingdom betwee ...

in 1956. The power tussle between him and his distant cousin Sir Ahmadu Bello the

Sardauna of Sokoto The Sokoto Caliphate (, literally: Caliphate in the Lands of Sudan), also known as the Sultanate of Sokoto, was a Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslim caliphate in West Africa. It was founded by Usman dan Fodio in 1804 during the Fula jihads, Fulani jihads ...

and accusations of financial malfeasance led to his abdication, and subsequent self-exile in

Azare Azare is a town in Bauchi State, Nigeria. It was founded by Mallam Zaki, who was put into office by Shehu Usman Danfodio in early 1814. Azare is the headquarters of the Katagum division in Bauchi State. It is bordered to the east by Damban LG ...

1963. His grandson,

Sanusi Lamido Sanusi Muhammadu Sanusi II, ( Ajami: محمد السنوسي, ''Muhammadu Sanusi na biyu'' ; born 31 July 1961), known by the religious title Khalifa Sanusi II ( Ajami: خليفة السنوسي), is the spiritual leader (''khalifa'') of the Tijanniy ...

, former Governor of the

Central Bank of Nigeria The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is the central bank and apex monetary authority of Nigeria established by the CBN Act of 1958 and commenced operations on 1 July 1959. The major regulatory objectives of the bank as stated in the CBN Act are t ...

reigned as Emir of Kano from 2014 to 2020, was dethroned by the state government in 2020 then reinstated on 24 May 2024 by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf. Sanusi belonged to the reformed

Tijaniyya The Tijjani order () is a Sufi order of Sunni Islam named after Ahmad al-Tijani. It originated in Algeria but now more widespread in Maghreb, West Africa, particularly in Senegal, Gambia, Mauritania, Mali, Guinea, Niger, Chad, Ghana, Nort ...

order of

Ibrahim Niass Ibrāhīm Niasse (1900–1975)—or , , ''Shaykh al-'Islām al-Ḥājj Ibrāhīm ibn al-Ḥājj ʿAbd Allāh at-Tijānī al-Kawlakhī'' —was a Senegalese major leader (wolof) of the Tijānī Sufi order of Islam in West Africa. His followers ...

Life

Sanusi was born to the large family of Abdullahi Bayero, Emir of Kano, among his brothers was future Emir, Ado Bayero. He was the second son of Bayero but his elder brother died at an early age. He was educated at Kano Middle School. Prior to becoming Emir, Sanusi held the title of Ciroma Kano and in 1947, he became a member of the regional House of Assembly. Sanusi was closely affiliated with Ibrahim Niass and the Tijani Sufi, for a while, he accompanied Niass on pilgrimages to Mecca and was later the appointed Caliph of the tijaniyyah order in Nigeria. He was also appointed a minister without portfolio in 1958 alongside other emirs like Usman Nagogo. In his memoir 'An Imperial Twilight', Sir Gawain Bell narrates how he appointed Emir Sanusi to act in his stead as Governor of Northern Nigeria for six months in 1957.

Knighthood

* Knighted into the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

as a Knight Commander (K.B.E.)

References

Sources

External links

Sir Ahmadu Bello, and Muhammadu Sanusi I Visiting the United Nations, New York City, July 1960
on YouTube Emirs of Kano Nigerian Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Monarchs who abdicated Nigerian Muslims Nigerian recipients of British titles People from Kano Year of birth missing Year of death missing {{Nigeria-bio-stub