Court Orders Release Of Embattled Sanusi

A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Friday, ordered the release of Muhammadu Sanusi II, the dethroned Emir of Kano who, following his dethronement on Monday, was banished to Awe town in Nasarawa State. READ ALSO: El-Rufai Names Sanusi As Chancellor State University

The presiding judge, Justice Anwuli Chikere, granted the interim order following an ex parte application moved by the lead counsel of the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) on Friday.

Justice Chikere also moved that the order for the release of the dethroned monarch should be served on the respondents to the application.

The respondents to the application are the Inspector-General of Police, Muhammed Adamu; the Director-General of the Department of State Service, Yusuf Bichi; the Attorney-General of Kano State, Ibrahim Muktar, and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN).

Earlier, Sanusi, through his legal representatives, filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking an order for his release from the post-dethronement detention and confinement.

His team of lawyers led by Fagbemi, on Thursday, filed a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/357/2020 before the court.

The suit, filed on Thursday, was brought pursuant to section 34, 35, 40, 41 and 46 of the 1999 Constitution and Order 4 Rule 4 of the Federal High Court.

Mr Sanusi is asking for: “An interim order of this Honourable Court releasing the Applicant 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 Motion.”

Upon granting the request, Sanusi also urged the court to make: “An order granting leave to the Applicant to effect service of this order alongside the originating motion and subsequent processes” on all the respondents.

The suit, which is premised on six grounds, stated: “Applicant’s fundamental right to life, human dignity, personal liberty and movement are seriously under challenge and continually being breached by the Respondents.”

The judge, however, fixed March 26 for further hearing in the case.

Recall that Mr Sanusi was deposed following a resolution of the Kano State Executive Council on March 9, on allegations of insubordination.

His dethronement has sparked a wide reaction with a host of persons claiming that the Governor Abdullahi Ganduje-led government did not give Sanusi a fair hearing.