- The Kano State Government agrees to pay N3 billion in compensation for the unlawful demolition of properties to shop owners
- The agreement, reached in a terms of settlement, follows a lawsuit initiated by traders after the shops’ demolition
The Kano State Government has agreed to pay N3bn as compensation to the Incorporated Trustees of Masallacin Eid Shop Owners and Traders Association for the unlawful demolition of their properties.
The agreement, disclosed on Thursday, resulted from an application on terms of settlement dated December 12, filed by counsel for the parties before Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Following the demolition of the shops on the order of Governor Abba Yusuf, 56 applicants, representing the association, initiated a lawsuit marked FHC/KN/CS/208/2023 in Kano division. The defendants included the state government, the Kano State Urban Planning and Development Authority, the state Attorney General, the police, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police Zone 1, Kano, Kano State Commissioner of Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps Commandant, and NSCDC, Kano State Command.
On September 29, Justice Samuel Amobeda of the Federal High Court in Kano had ordered the state government to pay the traders N30bn as compensation for the illegal demolition. However, as the state government refused to comply with the court order, the traders sought a Garnishee Order Nisi attaching the funds of the state government and other relevant entities.
During the hearing on Thursday, counsel for the traders, Dr. N. A. Ayagi, informed the court that a settlement had been reached, and the terms of settlement were filed accordingly. The court, with no objections from the defendants’ counsel, entered the agreement as a consent judgment.
This resolution marks a significant step in addressing the grievances of the shop owners affected by the demolition, bringing an end to the legal dispute over the compensation.
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