Garba Musa Kwankwaso, younger brother to former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, has taken Governor Abba Yusuf to court over a contentious 100-hectare land dispute.
The lawsuit, filed at the Kano State High Court, seeks an interlocutory injunction to restrain the governor and other parties from taking any actions on the land, situated at Kwankwasiyya City, until the resolution of the case.
Court filings list the defendants as Governor Abba Yusuf, the Kano State Commissioner for Lands and Physical Planning, the Kano State Urban Planning and Development Authority (KNUPDA), the state Attorney General, and unidentified persons.
The disputed land was originally allocated to WAECO Nigeria Limited during Rabiu Kwankwaso’s tenure but was revoked by his successor, Abdullahi Ganduje, following a 2017 investigation by the Kano State Public Complaint and Anti-Corruption Commission. The commission, led by Muhuyi Rimingado, determined that the company behind the WAECO name—Water and Agricultural Engineering Company Limited—was co-owned by Rabiu Kwankwaso and his brother. The agency also found that WAECO was not a registered legal entity at the time of allocation, rendering the transaction invalid.
Subsequently, Ganduje reallocated part of the land to Mallam Kato Square while returning the rest to its original owners, including the renowned Dantata family.
Governor Abba Yusuf, despite alleged pressures, has reportedly refused to reverse Ganduje’s decision or restore the land to WAECO. This led Garba Kwankwaso to file his suit, seeking legal protection for what he claims is their rightful property.
In his application, Kwankwaso urged the court to restrain the defendants from entering, developing, or reallocating the land. The application is backed by an affidavit from Faith Job, a litigation secretary at P.A. Attabor & Co., the law firm representing the Kwankwasos.
On November 13, Justice Usman Na’abba granted the interlocutory injunction and adjourned the case for further hearing on November 27, 2024.
