BREAKING: Court Orders Kano Government to Pay N10 Million to Deposed Emir Bayero

A Federal High Court in Kano has directed the Kano State Government to compensate deposed Emir Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero with N10 million for violating his fundamental rights. The court also mandated the government to ensure Bayero’s rights to movement and personal liberty are upheld.

Presiding over the case, Justice Simon Amobeda of Federal High Court 3 confirmed the court’s jurisdiction to hear Bayero’s suit concerning rights violations before addressing the substantive issues. He emphasized that any legal proceeding without jurisdiction is null.

Justice Amobeda stated that the case falls under the abuse of fundamental human rights, granting the Federal High Court the authority to preside. Bayero sought N5 billion in damages for the breach of his fundamental rights by the Kano State Government, as well as the enforcement of his rights to movement and personal liberty.

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The judge highlighted the necessity for the court to protect citizens’ rights based on substantial evidence, which Bayero successfully provided. He recounted that in 2019, the Kano State government utilized Kingmakers to appoint a new Emir. However, on May 23, 2024, Governor Abba Yusuf deposed Bayero via social media and ordered his arrest, giving him 48 hours to vacate the palace.

Justice Amobeda ruled that Bayero was unlawfully threatened and his fundamental rights to liberty, as outlined in Section 35(1) of the 1999 Constitution, were breached. Additionally, he noted that the government’s action, which placed Bayero under house arrest and restricted his lawful activities, violated his freedom of movement guaranteed under Section 41(1) of the 1999 Constitution.

The court further restrained the police, DSS, and other respondents from arresting, detaining, or harassing Bayero. Justice Amobeda ordered the Kano State Government to pay N10 million for the breach of Bayero’s rights to personal liberty and freedom of movement, as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution.