Court restrains CBN, others from withholding Kano LG allocations

A Kano State High Court, on Monday, issued an order of perpetual injunction restraining the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from withholding funds from the Federation Account to the 44 local governments of the state.

The applicants are the Chairman of NULGE, Ibrahim Muhd, Ibrahim Uba Shehu, Ibrahim Shehu Abubakar, Usman Isa, Sarki Alhaji Kurawa and Malam Usman Imam.

The applicants, through their counsel, Mr Bashir Yusuf-Muhammad, filed a motion exparte dated Nov. 1, seeking the court to restrain the respondents from withholding or delaying allocations essential for local governance in the state.

The respondents are the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), CBN, the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), the 44 Kano Local Government, UBA, Access and six other commercial banks.

• Katsina Accidental airstrike: Air Force breaks silence
• Court restrains CBN, others from withholding Kano LG allocation

Delivering the judgment, Justice Ibrahim Musa-Muhammad held that the applicants had established their case.

Earlier, counsel to the applicants, Yusuf-Muhammad urged the court to discountenance the respondents’ counter affidavit and grant the applicants reliefs.

Counsel to the 44 local governments, Ibrahim Isa-Wangida, holding brief for Eyitayo Fatogun, SAN, did not oppose the plaintiff’s application, adding that the disbursement of LG allocations should not be truncated.

Responding, counsel to CBN, Mr Ganiyu Ajape, filed notice of preliminary objection dated Nov. 14, 2024, pursuant to order 8 rules (1)(2) of the fundamental rights.

He urged the court to strike out the name of CBN in the suit for lacking jurisdiction to entertain the matter and not to grant the applicants relief.