Friday, April 4, 2014

SSS Vows To Appeal Court Judgement Over Sanusi

The State Security Service, SSS, has vowed to appeal Thursday's judgment of the Federal High Court, Lagos, restraining it from further harassment of the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Lamido Sanusi.

According to a statement released in Abuja, on Friday, the SSS said that it would appeal the judgment because it had acted under the law in detaining Mr. Sanusi and seizing his international passport.

The security agency also expressed its "disappointment and dissatisfaction" with Thursday's judgment.

The statement reads: "It is therefore necessary to state that in impounding the passport of Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the Service acted in accordance with the law," Marilyn Ogar, the Spokesperson of the SSS said in the statement..


Justice Buba had on Thursday ordered the federal government, the Nigerian police, and the SSS, to issue a public apology as well as pay N50million in damages to Mr. Sanusi.

The judge also ordered them to restrain from arresting Mr. Sanusi and immediately release his international passport, unlawfully seized from him in February.

The judge also dismissed the SSS' allegations that the suspended CBN boss was financing terrorism.

But Ms. Ogar described the judgment as erroneous saying: "For the avoidance of doubt, section 3 (2) (b) of Instrument SSS No. 1 of 1999 made pursuant to section 6 of the National Security Agencies Act, provides as follows:

"The State Security Service is hereby empowered to impound and keep in its custody the passports or any other property of persons or organisations under investigation if considered appropriate by the Director General.

"Returns of all such seizures shall be rendered to the National Security Adviser, while such passports shall be returned to the Owners as soon as the investigation is concluded".

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