SERAP Asks FG To Obey Court Order On Deposed Emir Sanusi Lamido

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the federal government of Nigeria to immediately obey the order of the federal high court for the immediate release of the deposed Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, who is illegally detained in Awe town of Nasarawa State.

SERAP made the call in a tweet on its twitter handle @SERAPNigeria on Friday after Justice Anwuli Chikere granted the prayers of Sanusi and ordered his release from detention.

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Sanusi had on Thursday, through his legal team led by M.O Fagbemi (SAN) filed a motion ex parte, demanding his release from detention in Awe, by security agencies.

The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu; Director-General of the Department of State Services, Yusuf Bichi; Attorney-General of Kano State, Ibrahim Muktar, and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), are the first, second, third and fourth respondents.

According to Fagbami, even before the pronouncement from the government of Kano state, the palace of the applicant had been invaded.

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Sanusi was deposed by the Kano State government on Monday over what it described as a “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 total insubordination.”

SERAP had on Wednesday reported Nigerian and Kano State governments to United Nations over Sanusi’s ‘detention.’

The civil society organization said: “The detention of Emir Sanusi constitutes an arbitrary deprivation of his liberty because it does not have any legal justification. The detention also does not meet minimum international standards of due process.

“The arrest and continued detention of Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi is an egregious violation of his human rights. The Nigerian and Kano State authorities have violated the following rights under the Nigerian Constitution, 1999 (as amended) and international law in continuing to detain Emir Sanusi: the right to be free from arbitrary detention; the right to freedom of movement; and the right to due process of law.”

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