Garba Musa Kwankwaso, the younger brother of former Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has initiated legal proceedings against the current governor of Kano, Abba Kabir Yusuf, in a bid to resolve a land dispute involving Kwankwasiyya City in the state......READ THE FULL STORY>>.....READ THE FULL STORY>>
The lawsuit, filed at the Kano State High Court, seeks an injunction to prevent any further action on a contentious piece of land that both parties have been in disagreement over.
Court records show that Garba Kwankwaso’s legal action also names several government officials as respondents, including the Commissioner for Land and Physical Planning, the Kano State Urban Planning and Development Authority (KNUPDA), and the Attorney General of Kano State. At the heart of the dispute is a plot of land spanning over 100 hectares, which was originally allocated to WAECO Nigeria Limited during Rabiu Kwankwaso’s tenure as governor. However, the allocation was rescinded in 2017 during the administration of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.
An investigation by the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission revealed that WAECO, which stands for Water and Agricultural Engineering Company Limited, had strong ties to the Kwankwaso family, with both Rabiu and Garba Kwankwaso serving as directors. The commission’s findings suggested that the company was not a legally recognized entity at the time the land was allocated, leading to the revocation recommendation.
After the revocation of the land, a portion of it was reallocated to Mallam Kato Square, while the remainder was returned to its original owners. However, despite pressure from various quarters, Governor Yusuf has reportedly refused to return the land to WAECO, prompting Garba Kwankwaso to take legal action.
In his lawsuit, Garba Kwankwaso is seeking an injunction under specific provisions of the Kano State High Court Rules, which would prevent any further encroachment or development on the disputed land in Kwankwasiyya. Specifically, the application requests the court to stop any actions such as demarcation, construction, or partitioning of the land, as well as any measures that would harm the interests of the plaintiffs, until the case is fully adjudicated.
The legal action is supported by an affidavit sworn by Faith Job, a litigation secretary at the law firm representing the Kwankwaso family. On November 13, Justice Usman Na’abba granted the application, temporarily halting any further action on the land. The court has adjourned the case to November 27 for further proceedings, where the case will be examined in more detail.
This lawsuit marks a significant development in the ongoing land dispute and the broader political tensions between the Kwankwaso family and the current administration in Kano State.
