The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday, March 13, has ordered the immediate release of the dethroned Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi from confinement/detention.
Justice Anwuli Chikere made the order in an ex-parte ruling on Friday morning after listening to lawyer to Sanusi, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) who argued a motion ex-parte to that effect.
The order, made interim, is directed at the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Attorney General of Kano State and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) – who are all named as respondents in a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed on March 12, 2020 by Sanusi.
Justice Chikere, in the ruling, said: “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 summons.”
The judge also granted the applicant leave to serve a copy of the release order and the processes in relation to the substantive suit on the respondents through substituted means.
Justice Chikere allowed Sanusi to serve the defendants in the following manner:
On the IGP, through any officer in his office at the police headquarters at Louis Edet House, Garki, Abuja; on the DG DSS, through any officer at the DSS headquarters at Aso Drive in Abuja; on the AG of Kano State, through any officer at the state’s Ministry of Justice, Audu Bako Secretariat, Kano, and on the AGF, through any officer at the Federal Ministry of Justice in Abuja.
The judge has therefore fixed March 26, 2020, for the hearing of the main suit challenging his detention.
The former Emir had earlier on Thursday approached the court seeking an interim order of the court directing his immediate release from detention.
He prayed the court to order his release from “the detention and or confinement of the respondents and to restore his 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.”
