A Federal High Court in Kano on Friday ordered Kano State Government to pay the sum of ₦10 million as compensation for breaching the fundamental rights of deposed Emir of Kano, Aminu Bayero.
In his judgment, the Presiding Judge of the Federal High Court 3, Justice Simon Amobeda, upheld the applicant counsel’s withdrawal of reliefs Order 1-2 on the grounds that they have the right by the rules of law to do so and as such they are no longer part of the case.
Amobeda condemned the order given by Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf to arrest the deposed monarch, saying it was unlawful which subsequently forced the applicant into house arrest for fear of being arrested.
The respondents in the suit are the Attorney General of the Federation as 1st respondent, Attorney General of Kano State (2nd), Nigeria Police Force (3rd), IGP (4th), Commissioner of Police in Kano (5th), DSS (6th), NSCDC (7th), Nigerian Army (8th), Nigerian Airforce and Nigerian Navy as 9th and 10th respondents respectively.
The Judge also restrained the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th from arresting, detaining, threatening, intimidating, harassing the applicant or further interfering with the applicant’s fundamental rights.
The judgement reads, “That, the act of the Governor of Kano State 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).
“That the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Respondents are either by themselves, their agents, servants, privies, or any other person or authority forthwith restrained from arresting, detaining, threatening, intimidating, harassing the Applicant or further interfering with the Applicant’s fundamental rights.
“That the 2nd Respondent and the Government of Kano State shall pay to the Applicant the sum of N10,000,000.00 (Ten Million Naira) only for the breach and likely breach of the Applicants fundamental rights to personal liberty and freedom of movement guaranteed under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as altered).
“The prayer for the cost of filing and prosecuting this suit is refused, the amount having not been specifically pleaded and strictly proved.”