Court to rule on N3.5 billion alleged land grabbing case involving Kano clerics

The Federal High Court in Kano has set a date for ruling in a suit filed by the Incorporated Trustees of Musabaqah Association seeking to bar the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from arresting, harassing, or interrogating members iof the association.

The association filed the suit after the EFCC invited the clerics for interrogation regarding a petition accusing the members of grabbing a N3.5 billion land donated by the state government.for the building of the Quranic Recitation Competition headquarters.

The petitioners alleged that the land situated in a highbrow area of Kano was fraudulently sold to Nata’ala Properties and Investment Company Limited led by Tijjani Sule-Garo.

“The plot was donated to the association to build its headquarters, school, classrooms, competition hall, accommodation for participants across the 44 local government areas of Kano, restaurant, shops among others for convenience of the general members of the Musabaqah community irrespective of religious sect in Kano State.

“To our uttermost shock and dismay, we woke up one day to see that about 38-blocks of residential houses were built on this plot for sale to the general public. On inquiry, our leaders told us that they sold the said plot for N400 million.

“This we highly suspect as being fraudulent and totally unacceptable to the generality of our members as a plot worth N3.5 billion in a prime location like Ahmadu Bello Way, Nasarawa GRA, kano measuring roughly 2 hectares could be traded off for just N400 million”, the petitioners stated.

The petitioners want the EFCC to investigate the sale, and halt further development of the land pending the outcome of the investigation.

The petitioners also asked the anti corruption agency to prosecute those involved in the sale with the aim of returning the land for use as originally allocated.

The petitioners fingered the clerics involved in the allegedly shoddy deal as Ibrahim Shehu-Maihula, Gwani Yahuza-Danzarga, Aliyu Harazim, Tijjani Bala-Kalarawi, Sa’idu Muhammad-Koki and Ado Shehu-Maibargo.

The others are Abdu Muhammad-Dutse; Abubakar Aliyu-Darma, Ahmad Tijjani-Yusuf, Tijjani Mailafiya-Sanka, Sabiu Bako and Muhammad Tukur-Gadanya.

The judge, Musa Shuaibu, on Wednesday, announced 23 May to rule on the case whether the EFCC can invite the clerics for investigation.

Background

The Kano State government in 1995, under former military administrator, late Abdullahi Wase, allocated the 2.5 hectares of land for the establishment of what he called Musabaƙa village – housing a residential block, Tahfiz and training centre, mosque and eatery.

Mr Wase was reportedly allotted the said land to stop an outrageous bill he received from the then Musabaƙa committee in preparation of an annual Musabaƙa event of that year,

The land was abandoned for almost 23 years till 2022 when the self acclaimed committee entered into a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement with the Nata’ala investment.

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In August, 2023, a radio commentary programme, ‘Rigar kaya’, anchored by Yakubu Musa-Fagge, exposed the purported PPP sharing arrangement.

In the programme, one of the accused leaders, Mr Gwani-Ɗanzarga, who is the deputy chairperson of the committee, responded that 38 houses were built in the PPP arrangement, out of which eight were allocated to the Musabaƙa committee and 30 to the Nataala company.

But some of the members disagreed and reported the matter to the EFCC. Mr Gwani-Ɗanzarga and 10 others then rushed to the Federal High Court 1, Kano and filed a case of fundamental human right against the EFCC.

After several adjournments by the judge to see if an out-of-court settlement could work, the judge fixed 23 May for ruling on whether the EFCC has the right to investigate the case.