A Federal High Court in Kano has ordered the state government to pay the Incorporated Trustees of Eid Grand Shop Owners N30 billion as compensation for the unlawful demolition of their properties.
The court ruled that the state government did the demolition exercise without recourse to the law.
Some of the properties demolished include a three-storey building with 90 shops on a race course at the Nasarawa GRA.
Daula Hotel, a three-star hotel reconstructed by the Ganduje administration under a Private Public Partnership arrangement, was also affected.
The government also demolished another structure, at Hajj Camp, sold to private individuals by the immediate past administration of the state and shops erected in parts of the Kofar Mata, the Eid prayer ground.
The owners of the demolished properties sued the Kano government over the demolition.
The judge, Samuel Amobeda, ordered the government to pay the traders N30 billion as compensation for the illegal demolition of their properties.
The judge said the action of the Kano state government against the applicants was barbaric and unconstitutional.
Meanwhile, the Kano state government said it would file an appeal against the judgement.
Reacting to the verdict, the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Haruna Dederi, said the court lacked jurisdiction to try the case but passed the judgement.
He said the court also failed to consider the land ownership issue during the case trial, adding that the state counsel had informed the court that those who sued the government for “illegally demolishing their shops” were not land owners.
“For example, the Federal High Court did not consider the issue of ownership of the land in its judgement.
“Those who sued the government in the matter were in court to prove that their property was illegally demolished. This is their demand from the court. They were not in the court to prove that they are owners of the lands on which they erected property.
“Don’t also forget that should anyone decide to seek legal redress from a court and get an injunction in his favour, it does not mean that is the end.
“Right from the onset, we have informed the court that it lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the case. But it went on and entertained the case.
“In anticipation of the outcome of the High Court judgement, we have since prepared our documents to appeal the judgement at the Court of Appeal Court in Kano,” he said.
He also disclosed that the government had filed a fresh suit to challenge the land ownership where the demolished corner shops were erected.
“Apart from that, there is also a new suit that we filed. The case will commence next week by God’s grace. We petitioned the court that the lands on which the property were erected were illegally obtained.
“Hence, whatever is going to be presented on that issue is not something the law will entertain,” he added.
