The Kano State Government has rejected the judgment by the Federal High Court declaring the banishment of the deposed Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi, as unlawful and unconstitutional.
The court in Abuja also ordered the state government to pay Mr Sanusi N10 million as compensation.
However, the state’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Musa Lawan, on Tuesday, said the government would appeal the judgment.
Delivering judgment on Tuesday in the suit filed by Mr Sanusi, the judge, Anwuli Chikere, awarded the N10 million compensation against the respondents comprising the police, the State Security Service (SSS) and the Attorney-General of Kano State.
She also ordered them to tender a public apology to Mr Sanusi in two national dailies.
Ms Chikere held that the Emirate Council Law, 2019, relied on by the Kano State government in banishing Mr Sanusi was in conflict with the Nigerian constitution.
According to Ms Chikere, the Nigerian constitution is supreme and any law that is inconsistent with it shall be null and void.
The judge declared that the former emir had the right to live anywhere, including Kano State, as enshrined in the country’s constitution.
The Kano State Government had on March 9, 2020 deposed Mr 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 obtained an interim order of the court for his release from house arrest.
Mr Sanusi has since been living in Lagos as a private citizen and has been travelling to other parts of the country.
Appeal
Mr Lawan told Solace, a Kano-based online news platform, that the constitution recognises tradition and custom and that they should be protected.
He said the state government would do everything possible to protect the custom and tradition of Kano people.
“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,’’ the commissioner said.
“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,‘’ Mr Lawan added.
Culled from Premium Times
