The Department of State Services, DSS, has said that it will appeal the judgment delivered by Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court, Lagos, on Thursday in favour of the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.

Justice Buba had declared as unlawful, the seizure of Sanusi’s passport and ordered the federal government to return the document and tender a public apology to him.

The judge also awarded the sum of N50 million as damages in favour of the suspended bank chief.

Spokesperson of the DSS, Marilyn Ogar, in a statement Friday, expressed the disappointment and dissatisfaction of the Service with the judgment.

Ogar noted that in impounding Daniel’s passport, the Service acted in accordance with the law, citing Section 3(2) (b)  of Instrument SSS No. 1 of 1999 made  pursuant to Section 6 of the National Security Agencies (NSA) Act.

Section 3(2) (b) provides that: “The State Security Service is hereby empowered to impound and keep in its custody the passports or any other property of persons or organizations 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”.

The DSS said the judgment notwithstanding, it would continue to hold the judiciary in high esteem as critical partners in nurturing the country’s democracy and nation building.

Meanwhile, the court on Thursday further restrained the federal government through its agents or representatives from arresting or detaining Sanusi without following due process of law and from interfering with his freedom of movement.