Katsina Emirate Council has announced the suspension of Durbar during the Eid-el-Kabir festivity on Saturday.

The suspension was announced in a statement issued on Tuesday in Katsina by the Council’s Assistant Secretary, Alhaji Sule Mamman-Dee.

He said that the suspension was due to the current security situation in the state.

According to Mamman-Dee, the Emir, Alhaji Abdulmumini Kabir-Usman, expressed deep concern over the security situation in parts of the emirate and said he would only attend the Eid prayers on Saturday.

He explained that the Emir advised Muslims to continue to pray for the return of peace to the state and country in general.

The Durbar festival dates back hundreds of years and involves the display of horse riding skills by districts and nobility households, who pay homage to the Emir on Eid day, known in Katsina as ‘Hawan Daushe’.

The emir on his part leads a contingent of members of the Emirate Council, district and village heads in a procession of horses, known as ‘Hawan Bariki’, to pay homage to the state governor, a day after the Eid.