The judgment by an Abuja Federal High Court declaring the banishment of the deposed Emir of Kano state, Muhammadu Sanusi, as unlawful and unconstitutional has been rejected by the Kano State Government.
The court had on Tuesday, ordered the Kano state government to pay Sanusi N10 million as compensation.
Delivering judgement, the judge, Anwuli Chikere, in the suit filed by Sanusi, awarded the N10 million compensation against the respondents comprising the police, the State Security Service (SSS) and the Attorney-General of Kano State.
Chikere also asked the Kano state government to apologize publicly to Sanusi in two national dailies.
The judge held that the Emirate Council Law, 2019, relied on by the Kano State government in banishing Sanusi was in conflict with the Nigerian constitution adding that the Nigerian constitution is supreme and any law that is inconsistent with it shall be null and void.
Chikere also declared that the former emir had the right to live anywhere, including Kano State, as enshrined in the country’s constitution.
Recall that on March 9, 2020, the Kano State Government had displaced Sanusi after which security agents moved him to Abuja.
He was later banished to Awe in Nasarawa State, where he was confined to a private house until March 13 when he got an interim order of the court for his release from house arrest.
Sanusi has since been living in Lagos as a private citizen and has been travelling to other parts of the country.
The Kano state Attorney-General and Commissioner for justice, Musa Lawan, reacting to the judgement said the government will appeal the case.
He said, “Where a person that is part of the emirate decides to destroy the tradition and custom and do only things that he deems fit will not be allowed.
“For over 100 years , it has been the tradition and custom in our clime that when an emir is deposed, he is banished to another community and there was nothing unusual in the case of Malam Muhammadu Sanusi II.”
