In a legal case brought by the Incorporated Trustees of Masallacin Eid Shop Owners and Traders against the Kano government, a Federal High Court has issued an order for the Kano government to make a payment of N30 billion within a one-week period. This order stems from a previous ruling in September when the court directed the Kano State government to compensate the Incorporated Trustees of Masallacin Eid Shop Owners for the wrongful demolition of their properties.
It is worth noting that the Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, ordered the demolition of shops, malls, and a hotel shortly after taking office in late May, asserting that these structures violated the state’s masterplan. The properties that were demolished included three-storey buildings housing ninety shops in the Nasarawa GRA area, Daula Hotel (which had been reconstructed under a public-private partnership during Abdullahi Ganduje’s administration), and other structures in the Hajj Camp area, which had been sold to private individuals by the previous state administration. There were also shops erected in parts of the Kofar Mata and Eid prayer ground.
The presiding judge, Justice Samuel Amobeda, has ruled that the sum of N30 billion must be deposited into the Court’s bank account within seven days, while the legal appeal process is pending. Furthermore, Marwan Ahmed, the Commissioner for Works in Kano State, may face legal consequences for continuing to interfere with these properties in defiance of the court’s judgment. The notice also contains a warning of potential contempt of court and the possibility of imprisonment if the court’s order is not adhered to.