A Federal High Court in Kano has ruled in favor of two residents of Salanta quarters in Kano metropolis, ordering the State Government and other respondents to jointly pay each of the residents the sum of N1 million, according to Daily Trust report.
The compensation is for the attempted demolition of their properties.
Justice Simon Amobeda, presiding over the case, delivered the ruling on Friday, highlighting that the state government and its agents’ actions of marking the properties for possible demolition without due process were an infringement on the applicants’ right to own immovable property.
This right is guaranteed by sections 43 and 44 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended.
The properties in question are situated at No 41, 43 and 68 of Salanta area.
The court also held that the intrusion to applicants’ properties around 11pm on 14th June, 2023 in an attempt to carry out demolition is clearly infringement to their private and family life as enshrined in chapter of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended.
Justice Amobeda further ordered Kano State Government to repaint the wall of the applicants which they have marked with “REMOVE by KNUPDA” with red paint.
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The presiding Judge ordered that the respondents by themselves, agents, their servants or proxies whatsoever called forthwith from encroaching, trespassing, entering, invading, demolition or revoking the Applicants’ titles or doing any other act in respect of the Applicants’ properties No 41 and 43 located at Salanta along BUK Road, Kano.
“The Respondents are also ordered to remove the red signing marked: 14th June,/KN/ KNUPDA made by their staff or Agents on the Wall of the Applicant’s Properties situated at Salanta and to repaint the wall to the satisfaction of all respondents.”
Speaking after the judgement, Barrister Bashir Ibrahim, who filed the suit on behalf of the applicants, applauded the court for the judgement, describing it as a landmark for the protection of human rights and respect to human dignity.
On his part, counsel to Kano state government and other respondents in the case, Barrister Musa Dahuru Muhd, the Director Civil Litigation in the state’s Ministry of Justice, said they would study the judgement and advise the Government for the next line of action
