Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has reinstated ownership of two properties previously revoked from the family of the late military leader, Gen. Sani Abacha, during the tenure of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai.
The properties, located at No. 9 Abakpa GRA and No. 1 Degel Road, Ungwan Rimi GRA, Kaduna, were seized in 2022 over alleged breaches of occupancy terms under the Land Use Act.
On Tuesday, Reuben Atabo (SAN), counsel to the Abacha family, confirmed the reinstatement, calling it a significant development. He noted that the revocation, widely reported on April 28, 2022, listed the late Abacha’s name as item 34 among those affected.
The Abacha family, feeling “embarrassed” by the move, had taken legal action against the state government. Governor Sani reversed the decision through two separate letters dated December 10, 2024, issued by the Kaduna Geographic Information Service (KADGIS).
The letters, signed by Mustapha Haruna on behalf of the Director General of KADGIS, instructed the family to pay outstanding fees and charges as a condition for the reinstatement. One of the letters stated:
“His Excellency, the Governor of Kaduna State, has, under the powers conferred on him by the Land Use Act of 1978, reinstated the aforementioned title… subject to the strict condition of settling all outstanding fees and charges.”
The Abacha family, through their lawyer, expressed gratitude for the decision, describing it as a gesture of fairness and justice.
The reinstatement signals a departure from the El-Rufai administration, which had cited “various contraventions” as the basis for the revocation.
