Police have started looking for Kano residents who on Sunday heckled the city's emir, Aminu Ado Bayero, at a public gathering.

The event took place while the emir was present for the state governor Abba Kabir Yusuf's re-commissioning of the Hasiya Bayero Paediatric Hospital.

Some of the chants included "New government, new Emir," "We want Sanusi Back," and "Emir Bayero is not our Emir," among others. These individuals have now been labelled as criminals by the police.

Six of the 'criminals' have been identified, according to State Commissioner of Police Usaini Gumel, who verified this in a Monday interview with press.

According to the CP, the insulting shouts directed against the emir were activities that could spark instability in the state. 

He added, "Saboteurs and enemies of the state" to his description of the offenders.

“The event was going on smoothly with His Excellency the executive governor in attendance, but unfortunately at the tail end of the event, some miscreants were heard chanting words to destabilize the event.

“These miscreants were not invited but they were intruders that came to the event; perhaps sponsored by persons with particular interest to cause disruption. They formed an unlawful assembly which is a criminal offence,” the CP stated. 

He affirmed that six people had been identified by detectives through the analysis of video evidence from the event, and that more film was being reviewed to identify more participants. Following this, anyone identified as a sponsor will also be arrested and prosecuted.

CP Gumel warned that “Traditional institution is a sacred institution and anyone who thinks he can play around for one reason or the other to destabilise the peace in the state by bringing politics into traditional institution is number one an enemy of the state, a saboteur and a criminal that the police will not allow to go scot free. We are on our toes and wherever they are, we will arrest them.”