The dethroned Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi, on Thursday, approached the Federal High Court in Abuja to enforce his fundamental human rights.
Sanusi, who was deposed as Emir by Kaduna State government last Monday and forcefully taken to Awe in Nasarawa State where he has been in confinement, is seeking an interim order of the court directing his immediate release from detention.
He is praying 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.”
Cited as respondents in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/357/2020, are the Inspector-General of Police, Director-General of the Department of State Services, DSS, the Attorney-General of Kano State and the Attorney-General of the Federation.
The embattled former Emir predicated the suit he filed through a team of 30 lawyers that comprised 12 Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SAN, led by Prince Lateef Fagbemi(SAN), 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.
Recalled that the Kano State government had, among other things, accused Sanusi of disloyalty, insisting that he disrespected its authority and absented himself from meetings without cogent reasons.
Though Sanusi was initially banished to Loko village in Nasarawa State after his dethronement, he was subsequently moved to Awe town.
The dethroned Emir, who had since accepted his fate as the will of God, is, however, challenging the legality of his confinement in Nasarawa State.
He also sought 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.
In the alternative, Sanusi sought for leave to publish the processes in at least one national newspaper.
He said: “Considering the status of the respondents, it would be difficult to effect personal service on the first, second and third respondents unless his application is granted.
“The respondents will have knowledge of the originating motion for the enforcement of the applicant’s fundamental right if they are served by substituted means, as stated on the motion paper.
“Applicant’s fundamental right to life, human dignity, personal liberty and movement are seriously under challenge and continually being breached by the respondents.
“Exceptional hardship shall be caused to the applicant before the service and hearing of the originating motion for the enforcement of his fundamental right.
Source: Vanguard
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