Sanusi Regains Freedom, Moves to Lagos

Deposed Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (Muhammad Sanusi II), regained his freedom after a Federal High Court, Abuja, ordered his release from security confinement.

Sanusi, in a fundamental human rights, suit instituted in Abuja, prayed the court to release him from detention and confinement to Awe town. In the suit brought pursuant to section 34, 35, 40, 41 and 46 of the 1999 Constitution and Order 4 Rule 4 of the Federal High Court, the former emir wants the court to restore  his right to human dignity, personal liberty, freedom of association and movement in Nigeria apart from Kano State.

In the suit with no: FHC/ABJ/ CS/357/2020, filed by his counsel, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, Sanusi is praying the court to declare his banishment to Nasarawa State, as illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional, null and void.

Justice Anwuli Chikere gave the order in a ruling on an ex-parte motion filed by Sanusi through his lawyer, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN.

The judge ordered that the fundamental rights of the deposed emir to freedom of movement and human dignity flagrantly breached by his banishment must be restored to him immediately. The court agreed that since the former Emir had no pending criminal charge or valid order for his detention, placing him under house arrest under whatever guise is a clear breach of his fundamental rights as guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution.

The court, in addition, ordered the service of the originating summon on the respondents through substituted means. Respondents in the suit are the Kano State government, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Inspector General of Police and the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS). The dethroned Emir had dragged the defendants before the court over his unlawful banishment to Awe town in Nasarawa State.

Sanusi left his place of banishment in Awe, Nasarawa State, and took a flight from Abuja to Lagos.