A Federal High Court sitting in Kano, on Friday, ordered the Kano State government to pay N30 billion as compensation to shop owners whose properties were demolished at Kofar Mata Eid praying ground in Kano city.

The applicants Incorporated Trustees of Masallacin Idi shop owners, traders association and 56 others, through their counsel, Nuraddeen Ayagi, prayed the court for the compensation.

They filed a motion exparte seeking for their enforcement of fundamental rights, right to own properties and damages against the State government for demolishing their shops.

The respondents in the suit are Kano State government, Kano State urban development authority, attorney general of Kano, Nigeria police, AIG Zone 1, and commissioner of police Kano.

Others are the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Kano commandant.

The presiding judge, Justice Simon Amobeda, averred that the Kano state government and seven other respondents’ action of forcefully demolishing and vandalising the applicants’ shops without due process to law is illegal and unconstitutional.

“The demolishing violates the applicants’ right to own property, right to life cum livelihood and right to dignity of human face as unprofessional.”

Mr Amobeda ordered the first to third respondents to jointly pay the applicants the sum of N10 billion as general damages for violation of the applicant’s fundamental right to life and ownership of property as guaranteed by law.

“I hereby ordered the respondents to also pay the applicants additional sum of N20 billion for punitive and exemplary damages,” Mr Amobeda said.

The respondents are yet to react to the judgement.

(NAN)