The National Industrial Court of Nigeria in Kano has refused an urgent request from five former state commissioners seeking to prevent the Kano State government from reclaiming official vehicles allocated to them during their tenure. The court ordered that all parties be formally notified and given a chance to be heard before any interim order is considered.
The former commissioners—Dr. Yusuf Kofar-Mata (Science, Technology and Innovation), retired AVM Ibrahim Umar (Internal Security), Nasir Sule Garo (Special Duties), Adamu Aliyu Kibiya (Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation), and Mustapha Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso (Youth)—filed the ex-parte motion through their counsel, Mr. Suraj Sa’ed, SAN. They asked the court for an interim injunction to restrain the Attorney General of Kano State, the Governor, and the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission from retrieving the vehicles. Their legal filing cited Order 17 Rule 1 of the court’s civil procedure rules.
The ex-commissioners argued that the vehicles were part of their conditions of service and that, by convention and in alignment with the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission’s determinations, former commissioners are entitled to retain such assets after leaving office. In sworn affidavits, they stated they resigned in January 2026 but subsequently received directives from the Secretary to the State Government to return all official vehicles in their possession.
Justice Mahmood Abba-Namtari, delivering the ruling, declined to grant the ex-parte reliefs. The judge emphasized the need for the respondents to be served notice and afforded an opportunity to respond, ensuring procedural fairness before any interim order is issued. The matter has been adjourned for a full hearing on March 10.
The resignations followed political shifts, including Governor Abba Kabir-Yusuf’s defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC), as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria. The case highlights the legal and administrative tensions surrounding the post-tenure entitlements of former state executives in Nigeria. The court’s decision postpones a definitive ruling on the commissioners’ claims, requiring further arguments from both sides.
