A Federal High Court in Kano on Friday awarded N10 million compensation to Emir Aminu Ado Bayero in a ruling on his fundamental human rights.
Last month, Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf dethroned Bayero and asked him to hand over to the new emir Muhammad Sanusi in 48 hours.
However, Bayero moved to the Nasarawa quarters instead, forcing the governor to order his arrest.
Justice Simon Amobeda said the arrest order given by Yusuf without any lawful justification threatens the fundamental rights of the applicant.
“The act of the governor has forced the applicant into house arrest, preventing him from going freely about his lawful business, constitutes a flagrant violation of his fundamental right to freedom of movement as guaranteed under Section 41(1) of the 1999 Constitution,” he said.
The judge restrained the respondents either by themselves, their agents, servants, privies, or any other person from arresting, detaining, threatening, intimidating and harassing the applicant or further interfering with the applicant’s fundamental rights.
The respondents include the governor of Kano State, Attorney General of the Federation, Attorney General of Kano, Nigeria Police, Inspector General of Police, Commissioner of Police Kano, State Security Service, NSCDC, Nigeria Army, Nigerian Navy and Nigerian Air Force.
The judge also ruled that Bayero has the liberty and legal right to move freely and live anywhere in Kano or elsewhere in Nigeria.
He, however, declined to order the eviction of Sanusi from the Gidan Rumfa palace.
