Ruling in a fundamental rights suit filed by the suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, has been reserved for April 3, 2014.
A Federal High Court in Lagos presided over by Justice Ibrahim Buba fixed the ruling on the suit after counsels, representing the applicant and respondents, had moved and adopted their pending applications.
Sanusi had, through his Counsel, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo, sought an order restraining the police and officers of the State Security Service (SSS) from arresting, detaining or otherwise harassing him.
Joined as first to third respondents are the attorney-general of the federation (AGF), inspector-general of police (IGP), and the SSS.
Counsel to the AGF, Dr Fabian Ajogwu, urged the court to strike it out for want of jurisdiction.
“We respectfully urge the court to hold that it has no jurisdiction to entertain the reliefs sort by the applicant, and strike out the suit,” he said.
Counsel to the second and third respondents, Mr David Abuo and Mr Moses Idakwo, respectively, also associated themselves with the submissions of Ajogwu.
Idakwo said it was absurd for the applicant to say that an interaction with the SSS for less than an hour amounted to violation of his rights.
Responding to the preliminary objections and counter affidavits, counsel to Sanusi, Mr Kola Awodehin, submitted that the court was clearly vested with jurisdiction to hear the suit.
He argued that the suit had nothing to do with the terms of employment of the applicant or industrial relation as submitted by the first respondent, since it was not a case of the applicant against the CBN.
He said: “The seizure of the applicant’s international passport by the third respondent is a derogation of his freedom of movement.
“The first to third respondents give conflicting reasons as to the complaint made against the applicant: This conflict goes to show that they acted without due process of the law.”
He urged the court to dismiss the preliminary objection of the respondent, and uphold the case of the applicant.
After listening to the submissions of all counsels, Justice Buba reserved ruling till April 3.
