UPDATED: Sanusi sues IG, SSS boss, AGF over detention

The deposed Kano emir, Muhammadu Sanusi, has filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking an order for his release from the post-dethronement detention and confinement.

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

Following his sack, he was taken to Awe in Nasarawa State and he has been detained in an apartment in the town since then.

His team of lawyers led by Lateef 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 Kan0 State] pending the hearing and determination of the Applicant’s Originating Motion.”

Upon granting the above request, the former Central Bank Governor(CBN) is also urging 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 Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu; the Director-General of the State Security Services(SSS), Yusuf Bichi; Attorney General of Kano State and the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami; are the first, second, third and fourth respondents respectively.

Premised on six grounds, the suit stated that, “Applicant’s fundamental right to life, human dignity, personal liberty and moverment are seriously under challenge and continually being breached by the Respondents.”

Many Nigerian lawyers have condemned the dethronement and banishment of the emir to Nasarawa, saying he was not granted fair hearing before the dethronement and such banishment violates his freedom of movement.

The dethronement

The Kano State Government said on Monday that it dethroned Mr Sanusi because of insubordination.

Usman Alhaji, the Secretary to the Kano State Government, stated this in a statement circulated to journalists.

Many see the Kano government’s action as Governor Abdullahi Ganduje’s way of getting at Mr Sanusi who is believed to have worked against the governor’s re-election last year.

In his statement, Mr Alhaji said the Kano State Executive Council unanimously approved Mr Sanusi’s dethronement.

READ ALSO: Kano court voids report recommending Emir Sanusi’s suspension

The Executive Council is made up of the governor, the deputy governor, commissioners, and other selected appointees of the governor.

“The Emir of Kano is in total disrespect to lawful instructions from the office of the state Governor and other lawful authorities, including his persistent refusal to attend official meetings and programmes organised by the Government without any lawful justification which amount to insubordination,” Mr Alhaji said.

“It is on record and in so many instances Mallam Muhammad Sanusi II has been found breaching part 3 section 13 (a-e) of the Kano State Emirate Law 2019 and which if left unchecked will destroy the good and established image of the Kano Emirate,” the official added.

The Kano emirate law that Mr Alhaji referenced is the one which created four new first class emirs in Kano State. Before then, the emir of Kano was the only first-class emir in the state.

Mr Sanusi and other members of the Kano emirate are challenging the law in court.