A Federal High Court in Kano has ruled against the Kano State Government, ordering it to pay the Incorporated Trustees of Eid Grand Shop Owners a sum of N30 billion as compensation for the unlawful demolition of their properties. The court found that the state government carried out the demolition exercise without following the appropriate legal procedures.
Upon assuming office in late May, Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, ordered the demolition of shops, malls, and a hotel, citing violations of Kano’s masterplan as the rationale behind the decision. Among the properties demolished were a three-storey building with 90 shops at the Nasarawa GRA race course, Daula Hotel (reconstructed under a public-private partnership arrangement by the administration of Abdullahi Ganduje), a structure at Hajj Camp sold to private individuals by the previous administration, and shops erected in parts of the Kofar Mata Eid prayer ground.
The owners of the demolished properties, along with the traders under the umbrella of the Incorporated Trustees of ‘Massallacin Eid Shop Owners,’ took legal action against the state government by challenging the demolition in the Federal High Court.
Justice Samuel Amobeda, presiding over the case, declared that the Kano State Government acted unlawfully by carrying out the demolition without adhering to due process. As a result, he ruled that the government must pay a fine of N30 billion to the affected traders as compensation for the illegal demolition of their property.
The imposed fine is intended to cover the losses incurred by the traders as a result of the demolition, which was carried out in disregard of the established legal procedures. In his ruling, Justice Amobeda condemned the actions of the Kano State Government as barbaric and unconstitutional.
This ruling comes as an affirmation of the importance of upholding the rule of law and ensuring that proper legal procedures are followed in the governance of states. It sets a precedent for accountability and serves as a reminder to governments that they must act within the confines of the law when making decisions that affect the lives and livelihoods of their citizens.
