Court stops Sokoto Govt’s sack of District Heads, orders maintenance of status quo
By KEMI KASUMU
A Sokoto State High Court sitting in Sokoto has granted the exparte applications seeking to stop Governor Ahmed Aliyu’s recent removal some District Heads in the state and ordered the maintenance of status quo ante bellum in Suit Nos: SS/M.290/2024 and SS/M.293/2024, filed by Professor Abdullahi Ibrahim (SAN).
The motion exparte, filed on behalf of Alhaji Buhari Dahiru Tambuwal and Alhaji Abubakar Kassim as Plaintiffs/Applicants (District Heads), had the Governor of Sokoto State joined together with the Attorney General of Sokoto State and Sokoto Sultanate Council as Defendants/Respondents.
Honurable Justice Kabiru Ibrahim Ahmed granted the motion exparte, brought before the court pursuant to Section 6(6)(A) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria of Nigeria 1999 as amended, on 13th of June, 2024 in favour of the Plaintiffs/Applicants (District Heads).
The maintenance of status quo ante bellum order further directed, amongst others, a stay of all actions and or further actions in connection with all matters dealing with and or pertaining to the removal and or dethronement of District Heads in Sokoto State (particularly the first st and second Plaintiffs/Applicants), as the District Heads of Tambuwal in Tambuwal Local Government of Sokoto State and the District Head of Kebbe in Kebbe Local Government Area of Sokoto State, respectively.
The injunctive relief is to operate against the Governor of Sokoto State, the Attorney General of Sokoto State and the Sokoto Sultanate Council pending the hearing and determination of the motion for interlocutory injunction filed before the same court and fixed for 23rd of July, 2024, for hearing.
The orders read, “Upon hearing Prof. Ibrahim Abdullahi, SAN the Plaintiffs/Applicants counsel moving these exparte Applications SS/M.290/2024 & SS/MM.293/2024 on behalf of Paintiffs/Applicants and having gone through the affidavit’s evidence attached to these motion’s as well as written addresses contain therein which he adopt as his legal argument, the court is satisfied that these applications has merit and ought to be granted. Accordingly, the following orders are hereby made;
“1. AN ORDER of this Honorable Court mandating the Respondents/Defendants by themselves, agents servant, privies or assigns or any person acting on their behalves to maintain status quo ante bellum and or stay all actions and or further actions in connection with all matters dealing with and or appertaining to the removal and or dethronement of Districts Heads in Sokoto State particularly the Applicant as the District Head of Tambuwal in Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State pending the hearing and determination of the motion for interlocutory injunctions duly filed before this Honorable Court.
“2. AN ORDER, of this Honorable Court mandating the Respondents/Defendants by themselves, agents servant, privies or assigns or any person acting on their behalves to maintain status quo ante bellum and or stay all actions and or further actions in connection with all matters dealing with and or appertaining to the removal and or dethronement of Districts Heads in Sokoto State particularly the Applicant as the District Head of kebbe in kebbe Local Government Area of Sokoto State pending the hearing and determination of the motion for interlocutory injunction duly filed before this Honorable Court.”
See order sheets below:
