Kaduna State High Court has fixed April 4, 2022 to enter definite hearing in the suit by the late General Sani Abacha’s family over the demolition of Durbar Hotel by the Kaduna State government.
Justice Hannatu Balogun, yesterday, fixed the date for the proof of the case by owners of the hotel, just as the defendant announced a change in its legal team.
Besides, at the proceedings, three Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) and seven lawyers teamed up to represent Abacha’s family to secure the hotel.
The hotel management had filed a suit over alleged plans by the state government to take over the property despite pending appeal on the matter at the Supreme Court, which the state government filed challenging the verdicts of lower courts.
When the case came up yesterday, counsel to the defendants, represented by Sule Umar, told the court that the defendants had filed for change of counsel.
“We are asking for a new date because we are already working on the defence,” he said. However, the lead counsel to the hotel owners, Dr. Reuben Atabo (SAN), expressed worry about the energy being wasted by the defendants in proposing an appeal on a matter that has been on for the past two years.
Other SANs teaming up with Atabo on the matter include Samuel Katung and Johnson Usman.
The owners of the hotel situated at the highbrow Muhammadu Buhari Way are demanding a declaration that it is the title holder of the parcel of land measuring about 5.378 hectares and covered by Kaduna State Certificate of Occupancy No 17789, Kaduna North Local Council.
Also, they are demanding a declaration that the demolition of the plaintiff’s property with General Certificate of Occupancy of May 1990 by the Kaduna government is unconstitutional, illegal, null and void.
The hotel owner is also asking the court for an order of injunction restraining the defendants, their agents, servants, privies, and whosoever from transferring, assigning, or selling in any part of the property.
