The Federal High Court in Kano has issued a notice of consequences regarding the disobedience of its order against Mr. Marwan Ahmed, Kano Commissioner of Ministry of Works.
The court had previously issued an order on 29th September 2023, restraining the State Government from interfering with the properties of the applicants located at Kano Eid Ground, Kofar Mata in the state metropolis.
The counsel representing the Incorporated Trustees of Massallacin Eid Shop Owners and Traders Association and the other 55 Applicants, Dr. Nuraddeen Ayagi, approached the court to request that the Commissioner be cautioned about the repercussions of disobeying the court order.
They told the court that the Commissioner has continued entering and tampering with the mentioned properties despite the court’s judgment.
Dr. Ayagi said disregarding a court order undermines the integrity and authority of the judiciary, and such actions will not be taken lightly.
He further said the court expects full compliance with its orders, and any further disobedience will result in appropriate legal consequences.
The court has reminded Mr. Marwan Ahmed that failure to comply with the court’s order could lead to a finding of contempt and imprisonment.
It should be noted that the Federal High Court in Kano, presided over by Justice Simon Amobeda, had previously ruled that the Kano State Government, KNUPDA, and the Attorney General of the state should jointly pay the sum of N30 Billion to the Applicants for punitive and violating their fundamental rights and ownership of properties as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Efforts to obtain a response from the Kano State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Haruna Isa Dederi, regarding the notice of consequences of disobedience have been unsuccessful. He has not responded to calls or text messages.
However, in an earlier response to the judgment, Barrister Dederi stated that the judgment did not address the issue of legal ownership of the lands.
He also mentioned that the state government has already filed an appeal challenging the court’s verdict.
The Attorney General argued that the case revolved around ownership and that the entire land belonged to the Kano State Government.
(Justice Watch)
