A Federal High Court in Kano has ruled in favour of the dethroned Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, ordering the Kano State Government to pay him N10 million in damages for fundamental human rights violations.
Justice S. A. Amobeda, in his judgment, ordered the state government to pay the dethroned Emir of Kano the sum of N10,000,000.00 (Ten Million Naira) only for the breach of his fundamental rights to personal liberty and freedom of movement guaranteed under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
The judge declared that the act of the Kano Governor in directing the police to “arrest the Applicant without any lawful justification is a threatened breach of the fundamental right to Liberty of the Applicant guaranteed under Section 35(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as altered)”.
The court last Friday reserved its judgement in the fundamental human rights suit filed by the 15th Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero.
The reservation of judgement was taken by Justice Amobeda, following a heated argument between lawyers.
It was learnt that the applicant, Ado Bayero who was recently dethroned by the state government, filed a motion ex parte to restrain his arrest of any kind.
He brought the suit against the Attorney General of the Federation, Attorney General of Kano State, Nigeria Police Force, IGP, Commissioner of Police in Kano, DSS, NSCDC, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Airforce and Nigerian Navy.
When the case came up for hearing on Friday, counsel for the 2nd respondent, Mahmoud Abubakar Magaji, told the court that he filed a preliminary objection dated May 30th and filed May 31st on four grounds bordering on his fundamental rights and the Kano Emirate repealed law.
“We filed our 21-paragraph counter affidavit deposed by Abudullahi Garko and written address dated May 31st on point of law,” the lawyer said.
Magaji urged the court to dismiss and strike out the originating summons.
He told the court that “being an emir is a privilege not a right. The applicant filed his application five days after he was removed”.
SaharaReporters had reported how the state government passed a bill dissolving the establishment of additional emirates created by Abdullahi Ganduje’s administration.
It is titled, ‘The Kano State Emirates Councils (Repeal) Bill, 2024.’
Following the passage of the law, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf officially reinstated Muhammadu Sanusi II as the new Emir.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that a High Court in Kano State granted an order restraining the newly sacked Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero and four others from parading themselves as monarchs in the state.
The order, which was granted after an ex parte motion was heard by the court, mandated all the dethroned Emirs from acting in their official capacity and asked them to immediately leave their palaces.
The court also compelled the Nigeria Police Force to take over the palace of the Emir of Kano being occupied by Ado Bayero and ensure the eviction of the former Emir.
SaharaReporters reported on May 24, 2024, that a Federal High Court sitting in Kano had barred the state government from enforcing the Kano State Emirate Council Repeal Law.
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