BREAKING: Court orders immediate release of deposed Emir Sanusi
The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, on Friday, ordered that the dethroned Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi, should be granted his freedom.
The court, in a ruling by Justice Anwuli Chikere, held that Sanusi who was deposed as Emir by the Kano State Government last Monday March 9, 2020 and banished, first, to Loko and later to Awe in Nasarawa State where he was confined, is entitled to his constitutionally guaranteed rights to personal liberty and movement.
The ruling followed an ex-parte application the dethroned Emir filed through his team of lawyers led by Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, on Thursday.
Cited as respondents in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/357/2020, are the Inspector-General of Police, the Director-General of the Department of State Service, the Attorney-General of Kano State and the Attorney-General of the Federation.
Meanwhile, Justice Chikere fixed March 26 to hear Sanusi’s substantive suit against the Respondents.
The the dethroned Emir had on Thursday, approached the cour to enforce his fundamental human rights.
He specifically prayed the court to order his release from “the detention and or confinement of the respondents and restoring the applicant’s rights to human dignity, personal liberty, freedom of association and movement in Nigeria, (apart from Kano State) pending the hearing and determination of the applicant’s originating summons.”
The Applicant anchored his request on section 34, 35, 40, 41 and 46 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and Order 4 Rule 4 of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules.
He also sought for an order granting him leave to effect service of the court order alongside the originating motion and subsequent processes on all the Respondents, through substituted means, by allowing the processes to be delivered to any officer in the office of the Respondents.
