Sanusi barred from travelling to France

Suspended CBN governor Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi was Saturday stopped from travelling to Paris, France through the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA ).

Sanusi arrived MAKIA around 10 pm with his wives and a large number of friends. He was seen at the VIP departure lounge waiting for his clearance but was told that his international passport which he intended to use for the trip (as his diplomatic passport has not been returned to him after its seizure) had also been seized by the SSS. He was seen at about 12:08am making several phone calls but was kept waiting for hours and later told that he could not make the trip. The Turkish Air Boeing 737 TC-TTD left at about midnight.

Speaking to journalists shortly after, Sanusi said the act was a complete assault on his fundamental human right as a Nigerian.

“Even though the court has ordered the federal government to return my passport and basically guarantee my fundamental human rights, the government is yet to return my diplomatic passport. I decided to use my green passport to travel, I checked in and got boarding pass but the SSS held my passport saying they were instructed by the presidency that they shouldn’t let me travel”, he said.

He added that he had shown them a copy of the court order but they did not oblige or obey it. He said he could not force himself into the aircraft, describing the act as a general harassment. Sanusi further said he was left with no option than to go back to the court to seek his constitutional right.

Reacting, his lawyer, Barrister Fatihu Abbah, described the action as a rape on court orders and a total disrespect of Nigerian laws. According to him, Sanusi is a lawful citizen of Nigeria and should be accorded his basic human rights.