Court Orders Kano Government to Pay ₦8.5bn for Illegal Demolition

A court has directed the Kano State government to compensate victims with ₦8.5bn for carrying out illegal demolitions, marking a significant legal victory for affected parties.

A High Court in Kano State has ordered the Kano State Government to compensate Lamash Properties Limited with N8.511 billion for damages resulting from the demolition of their buildings, as instructed by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.

Justice Sunusi Ma’aji’s ruling also required the state government, Governor Yusuf, and the Attorney General to pay an extra N10 million for litigation costs.

The structures that were demolished in June 2023 had been at the heart of a legal dispute started by Lamash Properties. The company argued that the demolition was unjustified, asserting it had legally obtained ownership through an agreement with the prior administration.

In its lawsuit, Lamash—represented by attorney Nureini Jimoh, SAN—requested a declaration confirming the validity and enforceability of its agreement with the state government to develop the site for commercial use.

The defendants, with legal representation from lawyers Ibrahim Wangida and Bashir Muhammad, submitted a Memorandum of Conditional Appearance but encountered difficulties throughout the legal proceedings.

Justice Ma’aji ruled in favor of Lamash Properties, confirming that the agreement with the state government was binding and valid. He declared that since it was impossible to restore the demolished buildings, their monetary value should be compensated instead.

Wangida, on the other hand, challenged the judgment process by alleging procedural irregularities. He claimed, “We submitted a preliminary objection and were assigned a date to present it; however, the judge was unavailable. When another date was scheduled afterward, we did not receive any Hearing Notice.”

He mentioned that they had asked the court to overturn its judgment, but their request was denied.

In a related event, the Federal High Court in Kano ruled in September 2023 that the state government must pay N30 billion as compensation for demolishing structures at Kofar Mata Eid Ground. The demolition, initiated by Governor Yusuf soon after his inauguration in June 2023, elicited mixed responses; some praised his effort to remove purportedly illegal structures while others condemned it.