Court Reverses Ex-Emir Sanusi’s Banishment From Kano

Justice Anwuli Chikere of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has declared the banishment of the deposed Emir of Kano state, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi II, from the state as unconstitutional.

Delivering her judgment today, November 30, Justice Anwuli Chikere held that the Emirate Council Law, 2019, used by the state government in banishing Sanusi conflicted with the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.  She held that the country’s constitution was supreme and any law that ran contrary to it shall be null and void.

The judge declared that the former emir had the right to live anywhere, including Kano State, as enshrined in the country’s constitution.

Sanusi, who was dethroned on March 9, 2020, had on March 12, 2020, sued the Inspector-General of Police and Director-General, Department of State Services over what he called ‘unlawful detention/confinement.’  Joined in the suit were the Attorney-General of Kano State and Attorney General of the Federation as third and fourth respondents respectively.

Although Sanusi was not challenging his dethronement, the former emir, however, sought an interim order of the court releasing him from the detention and/or confinement of the respondents and restoring his right to human dignity and personal liberty.

Justice Chikere, who struck out the name of the AGF from the suit, also restrained the first, second, and third respondents from further harassing him.

The court, awarding a N10 million fine against the first, second and third respondents, also ordered them to tender a public apology in two national dailies to the deposed emir.