Why Shekarau’s lawyer’s office was sealed – Kano govt

The Kano State government has shed more light on why it sealed the building housing the chamber of Nuraini Jimoh, the lawyer who played a key role in the victory of the Malam Ibrahim Shekarau’s faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Daily Trust had reported how Jimoh and his staff were trapped in the lawyer’s chamber for hours over the action of the government.

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The incident happened 24 hours after a high court in Abuja validated the executives elected at the APC congress conducted by Shekarau’s group against the excos of the faction loyal to Governor Umar Ganduje. 

The Bureau for Land Management in a statement issued yesterday said the target was the owner of the building, not the lawyer.

Murtala Shehu Umar, spokesperson of the bureau, described reports which attributed the development to the court’s verdict as mischievous, adding that several other properties were sealed that day.

“The state government sealed property belonging to Isiyaka Rabi’u & Sons at C14/C16 Murtala Muhammad way through its committee on Land Use Charges.

“The committee issued a demand notice to the owner of the said property on September 14, 2021 and also served him with a warning notice after a month reminding him to come and pay the outstanding ground rent that he did not pay from 2016 to 2021.

“We sealed about 30 properties yesterday (Wednesday) in different parts of the state such as properties at Zoo Road, Zaria Road, and Ibrahim Taiwo Road.

“Also, seven properties were sealed at Murtala Muhammad way for a similar reason of non-response to demand and warning notice. Therefore, the committee will continue to seal any property whose owner refuses to comply with the Land Use Act.

“As land custodian, our record shows that property in plot C14/C16 belongs to Isiyaka Rabi’u & Sons; not Barrister Nuraini Jimo. Our concern is the owner of the property, not who is renting the property,” the statement read in part.