Zainab Ado Bayero, one of the daughters of the late Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, has come under scrutiny after reportedly mismanaging funds given to her by Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf. The funds were intended to assist her family during a period of financial hardship, but sources now claim that the money was not used as intended.
In June 2024, Governor Yusuf responded to an urgent appeal from Zainab, who was on the verge of being evicted from a Lagos apartment along with her brother and mother. The governor’s spokesperson, Sanusi Dawakin Tofa, explained that Yusuf personally visited Lagos to meet with the apartment’s General Manager and the owner, Mr. Sunel Kumar, who had threatened to evict the family. The governor settled their debt and provided Zainab with additional funds to cover their living expenses.
At the time, Zainab expressed deep gratitude for the governor’s intervention.
“You came at the right time; we were about to be forcefully evicted for our inability to pay the rent. They had already mobilized youths to remove us from the apartment, and you arrived just fifteen minutes before the deadline. Alhamdulillah for your arrival,” she said.
However, just two months later, Zainab reached out for further assistance, claiming that the money provided by the governor was insufficient. In an interview with Premium Times on Friday, Zainab revealed that her family was still struggling to make ends meet and faced another eviction. Their hotel booking had expired, and they were expected to check out on August 23 with nowhere to go.
“We’ve been trying to survive and find ways to get back on our feet. We would love the governor to help us buy or give us money to get a house here in Lagos. We’re looking at around N150 million for a house in Lagos… What he gave us wasn’t enough to rent a house for a year,” Zainab said.
Zainab also mentioned that while the governor was reportedly considering purchasing a house for the family in Kano, they preferred to stay in Lagos for safety and personal reasons.
Contradicting Zainab’s claims, sources close to the Kano State government accused her of squandering the funds provided by Governor Yusuf. According to these officials, the governor gave the family a total of N10 million, including N6 million directly deposited into Zainab’s account for rent and other expenses. An additional N1 million was allocated for their relocation from a service apartment to a rental apartment, and N3 million was used to settle the backlog of accommodation costs.
Despite these allegations, Zainab denied any wrongdoing and refuted claims that she mismanaged the funds.
“I can’t be in this situation with no home, my brother not in school, and we’ll be going from place to place,” she said in response to the accusations.
Zainab explained that she reached out to the governor again, not out of greed, but out of a genuine need for further assistance. She clarified that her intention was not to blackmail the governor but to seek additional help to secure a permanent home and ensure her brother’s education.
“I thanked him in my interviews. I’m not blackmailing him but said we need more help. If he feels he has given us enough, he could have just made that clear, but not made it seem like I’m greedy or trying to blackmail him. That’s not the case,” she emphasized.