Court orders recovery of over 50 government vehicles taken by former Zamfara governor
A lawsuit filed by former Zamfara State governor, Bello Matawalle, over the ownership of over 50 vehicles allegedly belonging to the state government, has been dismissed.
Matawalle, who filed the lawsuit following a raid on his residence where the vehicles were recovered, claimed ownership of the vehicles he is accused of cornering before the transfer of power on May 29, 2023.
Confirming that the case has been dropped, the spokesperson for the Governor of Zamfara State, Sulaiman Bala Idris stated that the former governor and members of his cabinet took away several critical official vehicles belonging to the state government, “thus leaving the current administration with nothing to use.”
The statement read;
“Recall that in June, the Zamfara State Government gave the former governor and his deputy five working days to return all the official vehicles taken.
“All demands for the return of the said vehicles were unsuccessful and as a result, the Zamfara State Government resorted to obtaining a court order to recover them. In compliance with this order, a total of more than 50 vehicles were recovered by the police.
“After recovering the vehicles, Bello Matawalle quickly appealed to the Federal High Court in Gusau. The court granted an order for the cars to be returned to him. Furthermore, he filed a separate action in the same court, seeking to assert his fundamental right to property, including the vehicles in question.
“The Zamfara State Government has requested the transfer of the case to another jurisdiction of the Federal High Court. The Federal High Court of Nigeria, Sokoto Judicial Division, dismissed the matter on Friday. The court refused the measures requested by Bello Matawalle and rejected his request for ownership of the official vehicles. As a result, the vehicles are still considered the property of the Zamfara State Government.
“Our government is committed to recovering everything that rightfully belongs to the people through a comprehensive rescue mission that leaves no stone unturned.
“The Federal Supreme Court’s ruling will encourage us to ensure that justice prevails and that all perpetrators of financial banditry in Zamfara are held accountable.”
Source: www.lindaikejisblog.com