Barely 24 hours after an Abuja-based Federal High Court ordered the Kano State Government to apologize and pay N10 million to the ousted Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi, for breaching his fundamental human rights, his attorney, Nureni Jimoh, was locked up inside his Kano office on Wednesday.
According to a report by the Punch, when reached by phone on Wednesday to comment on the situation, Jimoh stated that he was locked up and unable to leave his office and that he had called the Director of State Security.
On Wednesday morning, a source who chose anonymity claimed the fallout from the All Progressives Congress judgment against Governor Abdullahi Ganduje and the Sanusi verdict had begun.
“Nureni Jimoh, who is the lead counsel in the APC case and part of the legal team for Emir Sanusi, has been attacked by Kano State Government,” the source said.
Furthermore, the source disclosed that, “a team of policemen and some staff of the Ministry of Land stormed the counsel’s office and locked him inside with a padlock.”
“For now, the counsel and his staff cannot go in and out of the office, as the two access gates to his office have been padlocked and sealed.”
He did, however, indicate that the lawyer stayed deafeningly silent and was ready to flee the state by scaling the fence in order to avoid additional violence.
However, a source who did not want his name printed claimed Mr Jimoh may have owed his tenement rate, which he had not paid, and the authorities may have been present to effect the order of sealing off the office for non-payment of the alleged sum he owed.
But another source queried, “Why should that action be within 24 hours after the judgment?”
Jimoh has remained mute as of the time of filing this report on why he was locked up within his office, whether it was due to non-payment of a purported tenement rate or anything to do with an Abuja Federal High Court ruling he obtained in favor of ex-Emir Sanusi.
Attempts to call the state police command and the Ministry of Land were also futile as of the time this story was filed.
When our reporter arrived at Jimoh’s office, located at No. 16, Murtala Muhammad Way, the seal that had been placed on the main building’s door had been removed.
An official of the Ministry of Land told newsmen that, “the Ministry sealed the building based on the directive from the Permanent Secretary.”
The official further disclosed that the Permanent Secretary directed them to remove the seal and unlock the premises.
However, many occupants of the office said the people who came to seal off the main building came along with fully armed security operatives.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, DSP Haruna Kiyawa, said, “From investigations and interviews conducted with some of the occupants of the office, they said no police were among those that came to seal off the office.”
He further disclosed that the investigation was ongoing and as soon as the police concluded their investigations, newsmen would be briefed.
Discussion about this post