SSS Vows to appeal Sanusi’s Victory at High Court
The State Security Service, SSS, has expressed its “disappointment and dissatisfaction” with Thursday’s judgment of the Federal High Court, Lagos, restraining it from further harassment of Lamido Sanusi, the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
In a statement released in Abuja, on Friday by the spokesperson of the Department of Security Service, Marilyn Ogar, the service said that it would appeal the judgment because it had acted under the law in detaining Mr. Sanusi and seizing his international passport.
In the Thursday judgment that jolted the Federal government, Police and SSS, Justice Buba 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 to immediately release his international passport, which was unlawfully seized from him in February.
Justice Buba dismissed the SSS’ allegations that the suspended CBN boss was financing terrorism.
But SSS spokesperson described the judgment as erroneous.
“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”. She said.
