Kano NBA Kicks as State Government Seals Law Office of Nureini Jimoh
Kano State government on Wednesday sealed the law firm of Jureini Jimoh, SAN and Co.
Jimoh is a Kano-based legal practitioner who represented the Shekarau faction of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the party leadership tussle that a High Court in Abuja resolved against the state governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje’s faction on Tuesday.
In an unprecedented manner, the state government moved against the lawyer by descending on his office and sealing off the premises.
A team of policemen and some staff Kano State Bureau of Land came to the counsel office and locked him inside with padlock.
The counsel and other staff of his office could not go out of the office as the two gates that give access to the premises were padlocked.
Reports said the premises was locked on the basis that ground rent amounting to about N3 billion has not been paid and notice was served on the premises on Tuesday, the same day the Jimoh’s legal team secured the judgement that the state government found to be offensive.
Kano State attorney-general and commissioner for justice, M. A. Lawan did not pick calls to explain why his government had to lock up the law office.
Nureini Jimoh spoke with Nigerian Sketch earlier in the day but declined to comment on the government’s action.
In what it called ‘Interim Report’, the Kano branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), said “It has come to the attention of Nigerian Bar Association Kano Branch that the office of Mal Nureni Jimoh, SAN has been sealed by the Police and Kano State Government.
“Upon this information the Branch swiftly reacted by directing its Vice Chairman, Mr Abbas Haladu to visit the scene as the Chairman is out of town.
“Our preliminary investigation reveals that the said building was sealed by officials of Kano State Government.
“The Branch is in touch with the office of the Attorney General to ascertain the actual position of things.
“The Chairman has spoken with Malam Nureni, SAN and he is safe.
“The Branch shall continue to protect its members, the profession & the Society in general.
“We shall keep our members updated on development in that regard as the Branch is investigating the matter.”
Branch secretary Haruna Sale Zakariyyah signed the report.
Expectedly, backlash has trailed the action of the state government since the incident occurred earlier in the day, and the state government was forced by public outcry to unseal the office on the purported instruction of a top government official.
Spokesman to the Kano command of the Nigeria Police Force, Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, came to the scene purportedly to confirm the involvement of police in the scenario, and claimed that he was not aware that men of the police were part of the team that locked up the office.
According to him, he has spoken to the Divisional Police Officer of the area who denied involvement of his men.
Share your thoughts on the story Kano NBA Kicks as State Government Seals Law Office of Nureini Jimoh with Nigerian Sketch in the comments section below.
