Ex-KASCO Boss, Kano Anti-graft Commission Disagree over Property Ownership
Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano
Former Managing Director of the Kano State Agricultural Supply Company(KASCO), Dr Bala Inuwa, has accused the State Public Complaints and Anti Corruption Commission of violating an existing Court Order by allegedly confiscating and taking over his properties.
In a press conference in Kano yesterday, Bala alleged that the agency took over his properties worth billions of Naira in contravention of a High Court Order stopping any public office from taking any actions on the properties, pending the determination of a substantive suit before it.
According to him, the properties which were stocked with various brands of trailers, fertilizer grinding machines and other agricultural implements were taken over by the anti-graft commission in contravention of the court order.
He reminded there is a suit no K/M 1563/2024 before Justice Aisha Ya’u between Bala Inuwa Muhammad and Safiyanu Hamisu suing under the names and style of Limestone Processing Links as Applicants and the Nigeria Police Force and Commissioner of Police as Respondents.
The court ruled on a Motion on Notice dated 19th August, 2024 together with accompanying affidavit duly sworn to by Bala Inuwa Muhammad, the 1 Applicant, and that the court ruled in their favour.
In the order, he said: “The court decided that the action of the Respondents of forceful entry into the 2nd Applicant’s premises known as No. 157 Kumbotso Rasha, Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State and taking way moveable properties under the guise of taking inventory pursuant to the Investigation against Bala Inuwa Muhammad.”
“Confiscating and deploying police officers thereby taking over the whole premises and denying the Applicants access particularly the 2nd Applicant from running its factory in pursuit of its business, was illegal.
The court ruled in an Order sighted by THISDAY that the objective of taking over the properties by the agency was “tantamount to illegality, unlawful, unconstitutional and a veritable contravention of the Applicants’ fundamental right to moveable and immoveable properties guaranteed by Section 44 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended). .
However, the Chairman of the State Public Complaints and Anti- Corruption Commission, Barrister Muhyi Magaji Rimin Gado, dismissed the allegations, arguing that all the orders obtained by Bala Inuwa Muhammad were obtained in default and could “not stand the test of legal values.”
Rimin-Gado insisted that all the orders restraining him and his commission from carrying out their fundamental duties were since vacated and they were all on interim basis and had elapsed since 2024.
