Demolition: Court Orders Kano Govt To Deposit N30bn Within 7 Days

A Federal High Court in Kano presided by Justice Samuel Amobeda has directed the Kano State Government to pay N30 billion within seven days in the unlawful demolition suit filed by the Incorporated Trustees of Masallacin Eid Shop Owners and Traders, against the state government.

The amount is to be paid into the court’s interest-yielding account pending the determination of the case.

Following an earlier ruling by the court that the Kano State government pays N30 billion to the victims of demolition that filed a case against it, the Kano State government has appealed the case.

 However, the state government in violation of the court’s judgement went further to tamper with the property in question that is located at the Filin Idi Ground.

The stage government went further to file a stay of execution before the court to which the court gave the condition that it will respond only when the state government deposits the N30 billion in the court’s interest yielding account.

Justice Amobeda has conditionally ruled that the sum of N30 billion be deposited in the court’s bank account within seven days.

The applicants have earlier drawn the attention of the court to the violation of the proceedings of stay of execution by the state government when it tampered with the property in question.

The court said the payment is a condition set by the court before granting a motion filed by the state government for stay of execution on the previous judgement it delivered on 29th September, 2023.

It would be recalled that the court had ordered the Kano State Government to pay the Incorporated Trustees of Masallacin Eid Shop Owners the same amount for the unlawful demolition of their shops without following proper legal procedures.

It was also reported that the commissioner of works, Marwan Ahmed, had continued to tamper with the properties despite the court’s judgement, leading to a notice of consequences being issued by Justice Amobeda against Ahmed. The notice warned of potential contempt and imprisonment if the order was violated.

Justice Amobeda, in his response, granted the motion with the condition that the Kano State government pays the sum of N30 billion. The presiding judge ordered the funds to be deposited in the court’s bank account within seven days.

The court order states that the execution of the judgement from suit number FHC/KN/Cs/208/2023, involving the Incorporated Trustees of Masallacin Eid Shop Owners and Traders Association, shall be stayed pending the appeal determination.

Therefore, the applicants were instructed to pay the N30 billion judgement sum into the Court’s interest-yielding account within the specified period of time.

The details of the account were directed to be obtained from the Deputy Chief Registrar of the Court.