COURT SET OCTOBER 10 FOR RULING ON KANO MINI PALACE RENOVATION DISPUTE

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The Kano State High Court presided over by Chief Judge Justice Dije Aboki has adjourned ruling on a substantive application seeking to prevent the 15th Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, from proceeding with renovations on the historic Nasarawa mini palace. The court has set October 10, 2024, as the date for ruling.

The plaintiffs, including the Kano State Government, the state’s Attorney General, and the Kano Emirate Council, seek to preserve the palace’s existing structure and cultural heritage, resisting efforts to modernise it. Emir Bayero was named as the sole defendant in the case.

At the hearing on the motion on notice, the plaintiff’s counsel, Habib Akilu, noted the absence of the defendant’s legal team.

“The substantive application is ripe for hearing,” Akilu said, before moving for an interlocutory injunction to restrain the Emir from “reconstructing, demolishing, or altering the face of the mini palace” until the court delivers a final judgment.

Justice Aboki, in response, set October 10 for ruling on the application. She also ordered that all relevant court processes be posted on the court’s notice board to ensure that all parties are kept informed of the proceedings.

The plaintiffs had earlier secured an interim injunction on September 13, 2024, preventing the Emir from carrying out any renovation work following the release of a proposed prototype plan for the modernization of the palace. The court’s decision came after a motion ex parte was filed by the plaintiffs’ lead counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Rilwanu Umar, on September 12.

In a 33-paragraph affidavit supporting the motion, deposed by the Matawallen Kano, Ibrahim Ahmed, the plaintiffs argued that any changes to the palace would damage its historical value and cultural significance.

“The Nasarawa mini palace is a symbol of our heritage,” said Alhaji Ibrahim Ahmed. “Modernisation, especially in the form of the proposed renovations, would erase the architectural essence and historical integrity that this palace stands for.”

The court had earlier ordered all parties to maintain the structural and architectural integrity of the palace pending the court’s final decision.