The Court of Appeal sitting in Sokoto has upheld the decision of the Federal High Court, dismissing the appeal filed by former Zamfara governor, Bello Matawalle, over the retrieval of official vehicles from his residence.
In June 2023, police raided Matawalle’s residence after he allegedly refused to return state-owned vehicles to the new administration. The Zamfara State Government had earlier given him and his deputy five working days to comply. When they failed to do so, the state obtained a court order which enabled the police to recover more than 40 vehicles.
Matawalle later approached the Federal High Court in Gusau, which initially ordered the vehicles returned to him. He also filed a separate suit claiming a breach of his fundamental right to own property. The case was later transferred to the Sokoto division, where the court dismissed his claims in December 2023.
Not satisfied, the former governor appealed. However, in a unanimous ruling delivered on August 8, 2024, a three-member panel led by Justice A.M. Talba dismissed his appeal. The court held that Matawalle failed to present credible evidence of ownership and could not prove that his rights had been violated.
According to a statement by Governor Dauda Lawal’s spokesman, Sulaiman Idris, the Appeal Court affirmed that the police acted within their powers to investigate alleged crimes and that the Zamfara State Government followed due process in recovering the vehicles.
The ruling confirmed that the vehicles remain the property of the Zamfara State Government and cannot be shielded from investigation or prosecution.
