Court stops Kano govt from demolishing plazas

A Kano State High Court has restrained the state government from demolishing structures comprising of plazas and filling stations that were marked for demolition along BUK road of the state metropolis.  Recall that the state government, through Kano Urban Development Planning Authority (KNUPDA), marked structures along BUK Road for demolition, an incident that generated controversy […]

A Kano State High Court has restrained the state government from demolishing structures comprising of plazas and filling stations that were marked for demolition along BUK road of the state metropolis.

 Recall that the state government, through Kano Urban Development Planning Authority (KNUPDA), marked structures along BUK Road for demolition, an incident that generated controversy among people in the state.

 The buildings include multimillion-naira plazas and filling stations located along popular BUK Road, as well as property built around the ancient Kano City Wall (Badala).

 The state government said the land belonged to the ancient Kano City Wall and that they were illegally sold by the past administration of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

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 Although one of the plazas belonged to the Kano Property Investment, the state government vowed to demolish the buildings and recover the land to its original plan.

 However, following the mark by KNUPDA, owners of the buildings filed a suit in a High Court seeking for an order to stop the government from demolishing their properties.

 The presiding judge, Justice Hafsat Yahaya granted the interim order on Tuesday and restrained the state governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf and three other defendants from demolishing the said structures.

 Other respondents are the Attorney General of the state, Kano State Bureau for Land Management and the Kano Urban Planning Development Authority (KNUPDA).

 “An order of interim injunction is granted to the plaintiffs restraining the demolition by themselves, agents, privies, workmen or surveyors or anybody working or claiming to act for encroaching, involving on demolition of the buildings, or revoking the rights of occupancy issued, or doing any other thing that may temper with the position of the plots, subject matter in this suit situated along BUK road in Gwale Local Government Area of Kano State, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice” the court order read in part.

 The court then adjourned to October 26, 2023 for hearing of substantive suit.