Garba Musa Kwankwaso, the younger brother of former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has filed a lawsuit against Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf over a contentious land allocation in Kwankwasiyya City, Kano.
The suit, filed at the Kano State High Court, seeks an interlocutory injunction to halt any activities on the disputed land pending a substantive court decision.
The legal action also names the Kano State Commissioner for Land and Physical Planning, Kano State Urban Planning and Development Authority (KNUPDA), and the Attorney General of the State as respondents.
Background of the Dispute
The land in question, covering over 100 hectares, was originally allocated to WAECO Nigeria Limited during Rabiu Kwankwaso’s administration. However, it was revoked in 2017 under the administration of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje. The Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission had found that WAECO, officially known as Water and Agricultural Engineering Company Limited, was linked to Rabiu and Garba Kwankwaso as directors and was not legally recognized at the time of the allocation. Based on the findings, the anti-graft agency recommended the revocation.
Following the revocation, a portion of the land was allocated to Mallam Kato Square, while the rest was returned to its original owners. Governor Yusuf’s alleged refusal to restore the land to WAECO has now culminated in legal proceedings.
Legal Action
Garba Kwankwaso, through his legal team at P.A. Attabor & Co., filed the suit pursuant to the Kano State High Court Rules, 2014, seeking two primary reliefs:
1. Restraining the defendants/respondents from taking any actions on the land, including partitioning, building, or reallocating it, until the substantive suit is resolved.
2. Other reliefs deemed fit by the court.
The disputed property, described in Survey Plan No. TP/KNUPDA/333 and covered by Certificate of Occupancy No. LKN/COM/2013/84, is located along the Western By-Pass in Kwankwasiyya II, Kano.
A nine-paragraph affidavit supporting the application was deposed by Faith Job, a litigation secretary with the law firm representing the Kwankwasos.
Court Proceedings
Justice Usman Na’abba of the Kano State High Court granted the interlocutory application on November 13, 2024. The case has been adjourned to November 27, 2024, for further hearings.
This development marks the latest chapter in a long-running dispute over land allocations in Kano, highlighting tensions between successive administrations.
