Court seizes Kano govt funds following N30bn judgement

A Garnishee order Nisi against accounts held by the Kano State Government in 20 commercial banks and 4 other accounts in Nigeria has been granted by a Federal High Court in Abuja.

The decision was granted by Justice I.E. Ekwo in a lawsuit brought by the Traders Association and the Incorporated Trustees of Masalachi Eid store owners against the state’s June 2023 demolition of their establishments, which they said was unlawful.

Alhaji Awalu sai’du, Ifeanyi Nwobodo, Alhaji Sani Uba, Alhaji Abdullahi A. Idris, and twenty-five other individuals were among the applicants, collectively known as OBASANJONEWS24, who had sued the Kano State Government on behalf of judgement creditors, seeking N30 billion.

A Certified True Copy (CTC) of the decision, delivered on November 28, 2023, and made accessible to news media on Wednesday, contains the order.
The CTC states that the Federal Ministry of Finance, FAAC, Accountant General of the Federation, CBN, and 17 commercial banks, including UBA, Access Bank, Jaiz Bank, TAJ Bank, Union Bank, Keystone Bank, and others, are among the Ganishees (bank accounts).

In fulfilment of the ruling of the Federal High Court, sitting in Kano, per S.A. Amobeda, J. dated September 29, 2023, herein being enforced in favour of the judgement creditors, the order froze all funds (present and future) of Kano State government, Kano State Urban Planning and Development Authority (KNUPDA), and the Attorney General of Kano State (including but not limited to Kano State FAAC Account and Account number 1019716320 at UBA and Account number 1790249410 Polaris Bank) and other accounts under the custody of the respective garnishees to the tune of N30,000,000,000.

Additionally, it issued an order asking the garnishees listed above to come before this honourable court and provide justification (if any) for why the order nisi (temporary) against them shouldn’t be made final.

The court stated that this was a response to a motion ex parte that was submitted on October 10, 2023.

It mandated that the judgement creditors serve the garnishees and defendants at least fourteen days in advance of the hearing date.

The court then postponed until January 18, 2024, so that garnishees might provide justification.