Muhammadu Sanusi, former emir of Kano, has filed a suit before a federal high court in Abuja, seeking an order for his release from confinement following his dethronement.
Sanusi is praying the court for an interim order releasing him “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.”
After he was dethroned on Monday, he was taken to Loko, a town in Nasarawa, and subsequently taken to Awe local government area, still in Nasarawa.
The administration of Abdullahi Ganduje had removed Sanusi over “total disrespect to the office of the governor”.
Mohammed Adamu, inspector-general of police; Yusuf Bichi, director-general of the Department of State Service (DSS); Ibrahim Mukhtar, attorney-general of Kano and Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation, are the respondents in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/357/2020.
Sanusi has accused the respondents of breaching his fundamental human rights.
He asked the court to grant him permission to effect service of court processes on all the respondents by substituted means through any staff or officer within their premises.
“Considering the status of the respondents, It would be difficult to effect personal service on the 1, 2, and 3 respondents unless this application is granted,” the suit read.
“There is an urgent need to grant this application so that service can be promptly effected on the 1, 2 and 3 respondents
“Applicant’s fundamental right to life, human dignity, personal liberty and movement are seriously under challenge and continually being breached by the respondents.
“Exceptional hardship shall be caused to the applicant before the service and hearing of the originating motion for the enforcement of his fundamental right.”