By our reporter| One of the lawyers representing the deposed Emir of Kano, Abubakar Mahmoud, on Tuesday revealed how Muhammadu Sanusi, who wanted to move to Lagos after his dethronement was forced to proceed to Nasarawa State.
Sanusi was removed and replaced Aminu Ado Bayero by Kano State governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, on Monday.
Narrating Sanusi’s ordeal at the hand’s of security operatives at a press briefing on Tuesday, Mahmoud who said he was at the palace when the letter of dethronement was brought to Sanusi, revealed that the commissioner of police refused to grant Sanusi’s wish to move to Lagos, as the directive in the letter was for him to travel to Nasarawa.
Mahmoud said, “In the letter of deposition, it was stated that the Emir was to be removed to Nassarawa State. We requested to know if he was under arrest and if so we needed to see the warrant. The Commissioner of Police informed us that he was not under arrest.”
“We informed the Commissioner of Police that was illegal and violation of his constitutional rights to remove to Nassarawa State against his wish. The Emir informed the Commissioner of Police that his friends had sent an aircraft to fly him and his family to Lagos and requested that they should be provided with necessary security to the airport so that he could leave.
“The Commissioner refused saying that was not their instruction. They were willing to allow the family to leave for Lagos but he was to be flown to Abuja then onwards taken to Nassarawa State. It was clear to us that both the Emir and ourselves were helpless and the police and other security agents were willing to take any measure and use force to achieve their objective.
“In order not to jeopardize the Emir’s safety or the safety of any member of his family or indeed other persons around, the Emir decided to cooperate and proceed in the vehicles provided by the operatives.
“We accompanied the Commissioner of Police to the Nigerian Airforce base in Kano where the Emir was put a private aircraft and departed at about 6.40 pm. The family subsequently boarded the aircraft arranged by his friends and departed for Lagos about 15 minutes later.”
According to Mahmoud, in a bid to traumatise and humiliate Sanusi, he was taken on a journey of seven hours by road till he arrived at a remote location in Nasarawa.
He added that he has been unable to reach Sanusi all through the day and called on Nigerians, the international community and other stakeholders to intervene in the matter to ensure the safety of the embattled monarch.
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