A court of appeal in Sokoto has upheld the judgment of a federal high court which affirmed the recovery of 40 official vehicles from Bello Matawalle, former Zamfara state governor.
In a unanimous judgment delivered on August 8, a three-member panel of the appellate court dismissed the appeal filed by the former governor on the grounds that he failed to provide credible evidence to substantiate his claim on the vehicles.
The court also held that the seizure “does not offend the fundamental right of Bello Matawalle, as alleged, and thus cannot shield him from investigation and prosecution”.
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Following complaints by the Zamfara state government in June 2023, the state police command raided the residence of the former governor.
The operation led to the seizure of more than 40 official vehicles allegedly taken by Matawalle and members of his cabinet before handing over power on May 29, 2023.
Dissatisfied, Matawalle had approached a federal high court in Gusau, arguing that the seizure violated his fundamental right to own property.
The suit was transferred to the federal high court in Sokoto and later dismissed in December 2023.
He then lodged an appeal marked CS//S/2024.
Reacting to the ruling on the appeal, the Zamfara government said the court’s decision affirmed that the police have the power to investigate allegations of the commission of a crime upon receipt of a complaint.
The state government said the decision proved that the retrieval of the vehicles was in line with the law.
