Court orders Kano State govt to pay N30bn within seven days as Compensation for Demolition.
A Federal High Court in Kano has issued an order for the Kano State Government to pay within seven days, a sum of N30 billion, to Incorporated Trustees of Masallacin Eid Shop Owners and Traders.
The Trustees filed an unlawful demolition suit against the Kano State Government.
The presiding judge of the court, Justice Samuel Amobeda, has conditionally ruled that the sum of N30 billion be deposited in the Court Bank Account within seven days, pending the outcome of the appeal process.
However, the court said the payment is a condition set by the court before granting a motion filed by the judgment debtors/Applicants.
According to the court, the motion seeks a stay of execution of the court’s previous judgement delivered on 29 September 2023.
It will be recalled that the judgement had ordered the Kano State Government to pay the Incorporated Trustees of Masallacin Eid Shop Owners the same amount for the unlawful demolition of their shops without following proper legal procedures.
However, it was reported that the Commissioner of Works for Kano State, Mr Marwan Ahmed, had continued to tamper with the properties despite the court’s judgement, leading to a notice of consequences being issued by Justice Amobeda against Mr Ahmed.
The notice warned of potential contempt and imprisonment if the order was not followed.
It was also gathered that the Kano State Government had sought a motion on notice for a stay of execution of the earlier judgement, pending the decision of the Court of Appeal.
Justice Amobeda, in his response, granted the motion with the condition that the Kano State Government pay the sum of N30 Billion.
The presiding Judge then ordered the funds to be deposited in the Court Account within seven days.
The court’s orders stated that the execution of the judgement from suit number FHC/KN/Cs/208/2023, involving the Incorporated Trustees of Masallacin Eid Shop Owners and Traders Association, shall be stayed pending the appeal’s determination.
Therefore, the judgment debtors/applicants were instructed to pay the N30 Billion judgment sum into the Court’s interest-yielding account within the specified timeline.
The details of the account were directed to be obtained from the Deputy Chief Registrar of the Court.
Justice Amobeda ruled that the deposited sum, along with accruing interests and after deducting administrative charges, will be paid to the party who succeeds in the appeal, as determined by the Deputy Chief Registrar of the Court.
Earlier, in his response to the court proceedings, the Kano State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Isah Haruna Dederi, maintained that the case revolves around the ownership of the properties.
He argued that the entire land belonged to the Kano State Government.
