Demolition: Court asks Kano govt to pay N2m compensation

Forum 9 months ago

Demolition: Court asks Kano govt to pay N2m compensation

A Federal High Court in Kano on Friday ordered the Kano State Government and other respondents to jointly pay two residents, Saminu Shehu and Tasiu Shehu, N1m each, for attempting to demolish their properties at Salanta Quarters in Kano Metropolis.

The applicants, through their counsel, Mr Bashir Ibrahim, filed a motion ex parte seeking the court to enforce fundamental rights of owning properties and N50m damage each, against the state government for marking their residences, along BUK road, for demolition.

The respondents in the suit are Kano State Attorney General, Solicitor General, Kano State, Governor of Kano State, Bureau for Land Management and KNUPDA.

Others are Nigeria Police Force, Inspector-General, Commissioner of Police, Kano State, and NSCDC, Kano Command.

Counsel for the respondents, Mr Musa Dahuru, told the court that the said pieces of land were properties of the Kano State Polytechnic and urged the court to dismiss the case, arguing that it had no basis in law.

Justice Simon Amobeda averred that the action of the state government and other respondents in marking the applicants’ properties for demolition without following due process is an infringement to their right to own immovable properties, “Pursuant to sections of 43 and 44 of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended”.

Amobeda upheld that the intrusion to the applicants’ Properties at about 11 pm on June 14, in an attempt to carry out demolition is clearly an infringement on their private and family lives as enshrined in the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended.

He further ordered the State government to repaint the wall of the applicants houses situated at No 41, 43 and 68 Salanta along BUK road which were marked “REMOVED KNUPDA” with red paint.

“The respondents, by themselves, agents, their servants or proxies whatsoever are restrained forthwith from encroaching, trespassing, entering, invading, demolition or revoking the applicants’ titles,” Amobeda said.