Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent “an
\nurgent complaint to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary
\nDetention over the arbitrary detention and degrading treatment of
\ndeposed Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi (II), [Sanusi Lamido Sanusi].”<\/p>\n
SERAP said: “The arrest and continued detention of Emir Sanusi Lamido
\nSanusi is an egregious violation of his human rights. The Nigerian and
\nKano State authorities have violated the following rights under the
\nNigerian Constitution, 1999 (as amended) and international law in
\ncontinuing to detain Emir Sanusi: the right to be free from arbitrary
\ndetention; the right to freedom of movement; and the right to due
\nprocess of law.”<\/p>\n
In the complaint dated 11 March, 2020 and signed by SERAP deputy
\ndirector Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization said: “The detention of
\nEmir Sanusi constitutes an arbitrary deprivation of his liberty because
\nit does not have any legal justification. The detention also does not
\nmeet minimum international standards of due process.”<\/p>\n
SERAP is calling on the Working Group to “initiate a procedure involving
\nthe investigation of Emir Sanusi’s case, and urgently send an allegation
\nletter to the Nigerian and Kano State authorities inquiring about the
\ncase generally, and specifically about the legal basis for his arrest,
\ndetention, and degrading treatment, each of which is in violation of
\ninternational law.”<\/p>\n
SERAP is also urging the Working Group to “issue an opinion declaring
\nthat Emir Sanusi’s deprivation of liberty and detention is arbitrary and
\nin violation of Nigeria’s Constitution and obligations under
\ninternational law. We also urge the Working Group to call for Emir
\nSanusi’s immediate release.”<\/p>\n
According to SERAP, “We urge the Working Group to request the Nigerian
\nand Kano State authorities to investigate and hold accountable all
\npersons responsible for the unlawful arrest, continued detention, and
\ndegrading treatment of Emir Sanusi.”<\/p>\n
SERAP is also calling on the Working Group “to request the Nigerian and
\nKano State authorities to award Emir Sanusi adequate compensation for
\nthe violations he has endured as a result of his unlawful arrest,
\narbitrary detention, and degrading treatment.”<\/p>\n
SERAP also argued that: “A detention is arbitrary when it is clearly
\nimpossible to invoke any legal basis justifying the deprivation of
\nliberty. Article 9(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and
\nPolitical Rights, which confirms the right to liberty and freedom from
\narbitrary detention, guarantees that no one shall be deprived of his
\nliberty except on such grounds and in accordance with such procedure as
\nare established by law.”<\/p>\n
The complaint addressed to Mr. Jos\u00e9 Guevara Berm\u00fadez Chairman\/Rapporteur
\nof the Working Group, read in part: “The Human Rights Committee has
\ninterpreted this right to mean that procedures for carrying out legally
\nauthorized deprivation of liberty should also be established by law and
\nState parties should ensure compliance with their legally prescribed
\nprocedures.”<\/p>\n
“Pursuant to the mandate of the Working Group, the “Manual of Operations
\nof the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council” and the
\npublication “Working with the UN Human Rights Programme, a Handbook for
\nCivil Society”, SERAP, a non-governmental human rights organization, can
\nprovide information on a specific human rights case or situation in a
\nparticular country, or on a country’s laws and practices with human
\nrights implications.”<\/p>\n
“As set forth in this Individual Complaint, the Nigerian and Kano State
\nauthorities are arbitrarily depriving the deposed Emir of Kano, Muhammed
\nSanusi II (Sanusi Lamido Sanusi) of his liberty and continues to
\narbitrarily detain him. Emir Sanusi is a citizen of Nigeria and has been
\ndetained since 9 March, 2020. He continues to be detained without access
\nto the outside world.”<\/p>\n
“SERAP therefore argues that the case adequately satisfies the
\nrequirements by which to submit an individual complaint to the UN
\nWorking Group on Arbitrary Detention.”<\/p>\n
“SERAP is therefore seeking an opinion from the Working Group finding
\nEmir Sanusi’s continuing detention to be arbitrary and in violation of
\nNigeria’s Constitution and obligations under international law.”<\/p>\n
“Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi was the Emir of Kano, Muhammed Sanusi II,
\nKano State of Nigeria until 9 March, 2020 and is a known critic of the
\nNigerian and Kano State authorities. He has for many years campaigned
\nfor universal access to quality education for Nigerian children and
\nexposed political corruption and human rights violations in Nigeria.”<\/p>\n
“By a letter dated March 9, 2020, and signed by the Secretary to the
\nKano State Government, Usman Alhaji, the Emir of Kano, Muhammed Sanusi
\nII (Sanusi Lamido Sanusi) was informed that he had been summarily
\ndeposed from the throne of Emir of Kano by the Kano State Government. He
\nwas accused of “total disrespect” to the governor of Kano State, Mr
\nAbdullahi Umar Ganduje, an ‘offence’, which is unknown to Nigerian and
\ninternational law.”<\/p>\n
“Following his dethronement without fair hearing and due process, he was
\narrested and reportedly forcibly removed by Nigerian security agents. He
\nis now being arbitrarily detained in Awe, the headquarters of Awe local
\ngovernment area of Nasarawa State of Nigeria. He was driven by Nigerian
\nsecurity agents for nearly seven hours in the night and arrived at about
\n2am in Nasarawa State. Emir Sanusi remains in arbitrary detention and
\nwithout access to the outside world.”<\/p>\n
“Accordingly, it is hereby requested that the Working Group consider
\nthis Individual Complaint a formal request for an opinion of the Working
\nGroup pursuant to Resolution 1997\/50 of the Commission on Human Rights,
\nas reiterated by Resolutions 2000\/36, 2003\/31, and Human Rights Council
\nResolutions 6\/4, 15\/18, 20\/16, and 24\/7.”<\/p>\n
“SERAP respectfully requests the Working Group to initiate the procedure
\ninvolving the investigation of individual cases toward reaching an
\nopinion declaring Emir Sanusi’s detention to be arbitrary and in
\nviolation of international law. To this end, SERAP will pursue the
\nregular communications procedure before the Working Group in order to
\nhave the ability to provide comments on any response by the Nigerian and
\nKano State authorities.”<\/p>\n
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent “an urgent complaint to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention over the arbitrary detention and degrading treatment of deposed Emir…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":56720,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-72119","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n