A land dispute in Kano State has escalated as former Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso’s younger brother, Garba Kwankwaso, has taken incumbent Governor Abba Yusuf and others to court over contested property in Kwankwasiyya City.
Court documents list the state commissioner for land and physical planning, the Kano State Urban Planning and Development Authority (KNUPDA), the Attorney General of Kano State, and unnamed persons as co-defendants in the suit.
Garba Kwankwaso is seeking an interlocutory injunction to restrain the governor and other parties from taking any actions that might affect their interests in the land until the case is resolved.
The disputed property, measuring over 100 hectares, was originally allocated to WAECO Nigeria Limited during Rabiu Kwankwaso’s tenure as governor.
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However, the allocation was revoked in 2017 by former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje following an investigation by the Kano State Public Complaint and Anti-Corruption Commission.
The investigation revealed that WAECO Nigeria Limited was not a registered entity at the time of allocation and that the actual company behind the acronym was Water and Agricultural Engineering Company Limited, linked to the Kwankwaso family.
After revoking the allocation, Ganduje allocated part of the land to Mallam Kato Square and returned the remainder to the original owners, including the prominent Dantata family.
Governor Yusuf, however, reportedly resisted calls to reverse Ganduje’s decision and return the land to WAECO Nigeria Limited, prompting Garba Kwankwaso to file the lawsuit.
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In his filing, Kwankwaso asked for an interlocutory injunction restraining the defendants from entering, developing, or allocating the land pending the resolution of the substantive case and any other orders deemed necessary by the court.
Justice Usman Na’abba granted the request for the interlocutory injunction on November 13 and scheduled further hearings for November 27.
The case highlights ongoing tensions over land allocation and governance in Kano, as well as the political undercurrents between past and present administrations.
Daily Nigeria
