The demolition exercise embarked upon by Kano State Government has been described illegal, oppressive and unconstitutional by a Federal High Court sitting in Kano and ordered it to pay N1 million to the applicants as damages.
The Court presided over by Justice Simon A. Amobeda on Friday directed the Kano State Urban Planning and Development Authority, (KNUPDA) to repaint the houses it earlier marked for demolition.
A motion of ex-parte was earlier instituted by a Kano citizen, Saminu Muhammad, through his lawyer. Following the motion, the court had restrained the Kano State government and its agents from further demolition of some buildings sited along BUK Road.
Justice Amobeda specifically ordered the Kano state government to halt plans for demolishing the applicant’s property, located at No. 41 and 43 Salanta, along BUK Road, Kano.
Respondents joined in the suit are the Attorney-General of Kano State, the Solicitor General of Kano State, the Governor of Kano State, the Kano State government and the Kano State Bureau for Land Management.
Others include the Kano State Urban Planning and Development Authority, Inspector-General of Police, Nigeria Police Force, Commissioner of Police, Commandant General of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.