Court refuses ex-Kano commissioners’ bid to stop retrieval of official vehicles

2026-03-02 - 18:47

By Bashir Bello KANO — The National Industrial Court of Nigeria sitting in Kano has declined an ex parte application filed by five former Kano State commissioners seeking to restrain the state government from retrieving official vehicles allocated to them while in office. The applicants are former Commissioners for Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Yusuf Kofar Mata; Internal Security, AVM Ibrahim Umar (retd.); Special Duties, Nasir Sule Garo; Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Adamu Aliyu Kibiya; and Youth and Sports Development, Mustapha Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso. Joined as respondents in the suit are the Kano State Attorney General, the Governor of Kano State, and the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission. Through their counsel, Suraj Sa’ed (SAN), the applicants filed the ex parte motion pursuant to Order 17 Rule 1 of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2017. They sought an interim injunction restraining the respondents, their agents, or privies from retrieving the vehicles pending the hearing and determination of motions already before the court. The former commissioners argued that the vehicles were allocated as part of their conditions of service upon appointment into the Kano State Executive Council. They further contended that, by convention and in line with determinations of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, commissioners are entitled to retain such vehicles at the end of their tenure. In affidavits supporting the application, the applicants stated that they resigned their appointments in January 2026 but later received letters from the Office of the Secretary to the State Government directing them to return all official vehicles in their possession. Delivering the ruling, Justice Mahmood Abba-Namtari declined to grant the ex parte reliefs and ordered that the respondents be put on notice to ensure all parties are heard before any interim order is made. The matter was adjourned until March 10 for hearing. The applicants, said to be loyalists of Kano political figure Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, resigned following the defection of Governor Abba Yusuf from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).