POLICE FAMILIES TAKE SOKOTO GOVERNMENT TO COURT OVER DEMOLITION
By: Safiya Abdulrahim Dabban
Families of serving and retired police officers in Sokoto State have taken the state government to the Federal High Court over plans to demolish their homes.
The families are asking the court to restrain the government from carrying out the planned demolition and to order the reconstruction of a house that has already been pulled down by a construction company engaged by the state government.
Their counsel, Abdulrahman Muhammad Jariri, told journalists after the court proceedings that the affected properties were built by the Federal Government for serving and retired police officers and their dependants.
The plaintiffs said the proposed demolition could leave several families without accommodation and create serious hardship for children and elderly members of the affected households.
They also told the court that they had applied to the Minister of Housing and Urban Development to purchase the houses under the Federal Government’s monetisation policy.
The Sokoto State Government, however, asked the court for an adjournment, saying it was not ready to proceed with the hearing.
Justice Mahmud Gama granted the request and adjourned the case until October 28, 2026, to allow all parties to present their positions and ensure a fair hearing.
The case has attracted attention in Sokoto, with the affected families awaiting the court’s decision on the proposed demolition.