The outgoing Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufa’i, has allegedly allocated land belonging to Durbar Hotel Kaduna to the Nigerian Air Force, (NAF), and Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC), despite a court order restraining him.
Recall that in December 2020, the State government demolished the property, belonging to Mohammed Abacha, son of a former military ruler Sani Abacha, located at 14A Sokoto Road. However, the Abacha family protested against the action of the State government and filed a lawsuit at the Kaduna State High Court.
In the suit, with reference No. KDH/KAD/51/2020, the management of the hotel accused the State government of forceful takeover and misuse of power.
The defendants in the suit are the Kaduna State Governor, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, the Urban Planning and Development Agency, and the Kaduna State Geographic and Information Service, KADGIS.
The plaintiff in the suit sought an “ORDER setting aside and or nullifying the purported Notice of revocation of Certificate of Occupancy No.177789 in respect of Durbar Hotel addressed to Mohammed Abacha during the pendency of this suit.
“AN ORDER setting aside and or nullifying the revocation of the title of the Plaintiff/Applicant on the 24th day of January 2020 by the Defendants/ Respondents but received on the 29/1/2020 during the pendency of this action. AN ORDER to maintain status quo antebellum prior to the commencement of this action.”
Consequently, In March 2023, the court issued an order of interim injunction stopping the defendants/respondents from developing or tampering with the property pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.
The case was subsequently adjourned to 4th July, 2023.
Despite the order however, El-Rufa’i allegedly allocated parts of the land to the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, and the Federal Road Safety Commission, (FRSC).
An associate of the Abacha family, Usman Nura, alleged that the matter dated back to when the governor was Director General of the Bureau for Public Enterprise, BPE, and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
“El-Rufa’i tried to revoke the sale of Durbar Hotel from when he was at the helm of affairs at the BPE. He also tried when he was FCT Minister. The family was only able to win the case at the Supreme Court in 2017”, Nura claimed.
Attempts to get the reaction of the state government were unsuccessful, as the governor’s spokesman, Muyiwa Adekeye, didn’t respond to calls and SMS seeking his reaction on the matter.
