Former Governor Abdullahi of Kano state has finally got a reprieve over the demolition of his properties and those of his proxies by the incumbent, Abba Yusuf.
The reprieve for the former governor came a few weeks after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s intervention on the matter failed.
The former governor has blamed his predecessor, Musa Kwakwanso for his predicament, and the duo was summoned to Aso Rock by President Tinubu for a reconciliatory meeting recently.
The meeting did not succeed as Governor Yusuf continued the demolition of structures owned by the former governor and other former government officials, whom the governor accused of acquiring state properties, illegally.
But Justice S.A Amobeda has now directed the demolition to stop. He made the order after granting a motion ex-parte, filed by Saminu Muhammad, which prayed the court to restrain the government and its agents from demolishing some buildings on BUK road.
The judge also ordered the state government to stop plans of demolishing the applicant’s property at No. 41 and 43 Salanta, on BUK road.
Attorney-general, solicitor general, governor, government, and Kano State Bureau for Land Management are respondents in the suit.
Other defendants include: Kano State Urban Planning and Development Authority, inspector-general of Police, Police, commissioner of Police, commandant general of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
The court, after listening to the motion by the applicant’s counsel, Prof. Nasiru Aliyu, ordered an accelerated hearing of the case and adjourned to July 10.
Justice Amobeda said “Order of this court is hereby made in the interim restraining the respondents by themselves, agents, servant or proxies whatsoever called from encroaching, trespassing, entering, invading, demolishing or revoking the applicant’s titles or doing any other act in respect of the applicant’s property, No. 41 and 43 at Salanta, on BUK Road, Kano, covered by Certificate of Occupancy No. KNMLO8228 and Certificate of Occupancy No. KNMLO8229 pending hearing and determination of the originating motion.
”That Order of this Honourable Court is hereby made granting leave to the bailiff of this Court to serve the 3rd, 4h, 5h, and 6th Respondents with all processes and all subsequent procedings.”
Not a few Nigerians insist that Governor Yusuf is on a revenge mission against his predecessor for betraying Kwakwanso, the leader of the Kwakwansiyya group, which Ganduje rode to power in 2015, but later dumped following a fierce political struggle with his predecessor.
Governor Yusuf is a son in-law to Kwakwanso, a former governor and Minister of Defense.
