Court orders IGP, DSS to release Sanusi from confinement

A federal high Court in Abuja has ordered the immediate release of Muhammadu Sanusi II, deposed emir of Kano, from confinement.

Sanusi had filed a suit against the inspector-general of police, the director-general of the Department of State Services over his detention after his dethronement on Monday.

Other respondents in the suit are Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation (AGF), and Ibrahim Muktar, the AGF of Kano state.

Anwuli Chikere, the judge, made the order in an ex-parte ruling on Friday after listening to Lateef Fagbemi, Sanusi’s lawyer, who made the application.

“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 ruled.

When the case was called, Fagbemi said officers of the police and the DSS had already thronged the premises of the former emir even before the Kano state government pronounced his dethronement.

He asked the court to grant his reliefs on the grounds that the health of the applicant is of serious concern — to which the court obliged.

He also added that his client has offered not to go to Kano until the determination of the substantive case.

Zainab Sanusi, the applicant’s sister, and Khadija Sanusi, his daughter, were in court to witness proceedings.

The case was adjourned till March 26.

After his dethronement, Sanusi was banished to Awe in Nasarawa state though the Kano state government claimed he was not banished but only relocated.

TheCable has been reporting from Sanusi’s exile home in Awe since he was moved there.