A Federal High Court in Kano has ordered the State Government to compensate the 15th Emir of Kano, Aminu Bayero, with the sum of N10 million for breaching his fundamental human right.

Presiding over the case, Justice Simon Amobeda in his judgment gave the order for Aminu Bayero to be compensated after the Kano Governor, Abba Yusuf called for his arrest.

The judge described Governor Yusuf’s action as unlawful as his decision has since forced the applicant into house arrest out of fear of being arrested.

The respondents in the suit are the Attorney General of the Federation as the 1st respondent, the Attorney General of Kano State as the 2nd respondent, the Nigeria Police Force as the 3rd respondent, the IGP as the 4th respondent, the Commissioner of Police in Kano as the 5th respondent, DSS as the 6th respondent, NSCDC as the 7th respondent, the Nigerian Army as the 8th respondent, and the Nigerian Airforce and Nigerian Navy as the 9th and 10th respondents, respectively.

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.

In the judgment delivery, the judge restrained the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th respondents 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 act of the Governor of Kano State in directing the police to arrest the Applicant without any lawful justification, which directive 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 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."