Kano Denies Selling Shari’a Courts to Private Individuals

Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano

The Chairman, Technical Committee on Conversation and Redevelopment of Some Kano State Owned Properties, Barrister Musa Abdullahi Lawan, has described the claim that the state government has sold some Shari’a courts to private individuals for commercial purposes as fake, unfounded and political.

The Chairman, who is also the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Kano State, was reacting to the claims by some legal practitioners, Barrister Sanusi Umar, Barrister Usman Imam and Comrade Bello Basi, who approached the Kano State High Court, seeking to restrain the government from taking any further step on the building and premises of the courts.

The affected courts Include: Upper Sharia Court, Gidan Maitatsine, Yan Awaki, Upper Sharia Court Yan Alluna, Upper Sharia Court Shahuci, and Upper Shari’a Court Goron Dutse,

Others are Upper Shari’a Court Kasuwar Kurmi, and Upper Sharia Court Filin Hockey.

The Attorney General said there was misrepresentation of facts regarding the claims of the three plaintiffs.

“Government has no plans to relocate Upper Sharia Court Goron Dutse and Upper Sharia Court Filin Hockey, Hausawa,” he said.

According to him there was no court on the verge of being sold as alleged by Bello Basi and the two others.

He added that the government’s decision to relocate Yan awaki Upper Shari’a Court was due to the fact that the building had been taken over by Kofar Wambai motor park and market, stating that court is not supposed to be located where there is distraction.

He further said: “Even vehicles’ horns or any other things that will distract the attention of a judge, court officials and litigants is not allowed in court.

“ To avoid being distracted, by vehicles and passengers in the park, Yan awaki Court has been relocated to BUK New site Road, where a whole Sharia Court Division, that houses Sharia Court, Upper Sharia Court and Sharia Court of Appeal is about to be completed by the end of September, 2022, as well as official launching by Kano State Governor Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje,” he said

Similarly, he noted that the Upper Shari’a Court Kurmi Market is facing a similar problem as it had been overtaken by the market, explaining that it had become attractive for hawkers to roam around its premises.

He pointed out that adjudication needs serene environment to avoid miscarriage of justice.

“Additionally, marketers and hawkers have taken over Yan’alluna Court, we received a series of complaints from lawyers, litigants that the court has no parking space, the remaining parking space in the court premises has currently been taken over by traders’ stalls.

He said the government, in its own magnanimity, also moved Yan Alluna court to Shahuci.

“Now, the government will utilize the space of Shahuci Upper Sharia Court to build a new court for Kurmi Market and Yan Alluna Courts in a single Complex.

“Considering the dilapidated nature of Shahuci Upper Sharia Court, in addition to flooding during the rainy season, the state government included the court in the project.

“With this development, Shahuci Upper Sharia Court Complex will accommodate three new courts, namely, Kurmi Market Upper Sharia Court, Yan Alluna Court and Shahuci Upper Sharia Court, all in the same Complex.

Barrister Lawan further stated that a new court would be constructed behind Fagge Upper Shari’a Court to relocate the Court of Yan alluna.

“You see! I challenge the three plaintiffs to come up with their evidence that the Kano State Government sold Courts. This is imagination, concocted and false accusations to smear the image of this government,”

“After building seven Shari’a Courts in the state, the government also renovated Yankaba Upper Shari’a Court among others to provide a serene and enabling working environment for judiciary staff in the state,” the Attorney General further explained.