The Kaduna State High Court presided over by Justice Edward Andow has asked the state government to reinstate 4,600 shop owners back to Kasuwan Bacci market and pay them compensation for demolishing their shops in 2017.
The court had on the 28th of September 2022 given judgment in favour of the plaintiffs (shop owners), instructing the state government that the shop owners be adequately compensated.
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Daily Trust recalled that the plaintiffs had filed a suit before the High Court on May 9, 2017, when the state government gave 10 days’ notice to vacate their shops.
The aggrieved traders also wanted the court to interpret the action of the state government who despite an injunction order for parties to maintain the status quo issued an ‘obscure’ quit notice to the occupants of the market and went ahead to demolish their shops.
In his ruling, Justice A. Edward Andow pronounced that the state government lacks the constitutional powers to unilaterally take over the Kasuwan Bacci market in the way it did.
He ruled that the state government breached the constitutional provision vesting the creation and operation of markets in the local government by arrogating to itself the clear powers and function of the local governments.
Justice Andow maintained the state government should immediately reinstate the 4,600 shop owners to their shops and pay adequate compensation to them for their losses.
The chairman of the shop owners, Alh. Abdullahi Maikano Kaya-kaya, who stated this in a document presented to newsmen described the court as the last hope of the common man.
“It is our prayer that the Kaduna state government will respect this judgment by reinstating us into the market and compensate us accordingly, especially because, many shop owners have died, some are sick, while a few have relocated to other towns due to the demolition,” he explained.
He said the governor should be a democrat to accept the court judgement.
Kaduna Markets Development and Management Company’s Managing Director, Tamar Nandul, when contacted told our correspondent that she had nothing to say. “I have nothing to say” she simply said.
