Court Orders Gombe Govt to Vacate Disputed Land, Pay Firm ₦65m Damages
By Ahmad Tijjani Abdul
KANO — A State High Court has ordered the Gombe State Government and three other defendants to vacate a disputed parcel of land along the Gombe–Bajoga Road after declaring Emir General Integrated Ltd the lawful owner of the property.
In a judgment delivered by Justice Daurabo Suleiman Sikkam in Suit No. GM/116/2026, the court upheld the validity of the company’s Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) No. GM/15926 and awarded ₦65 million in damages for the unlawful trespass, demolition of structures and subsequent occupation of the land.
The defendants in the suit are Grandscope Construction Ltd, the Gombe State Government, the Attorney General of Gombe State, and the Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport.
The disputed 1.30-hectare property is located along the Gombe–Bajoga Road, adjacent to the office of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Gombe Local Government Area.
Justice Sikkam held that the state government’s decision to award contracts on the land without first revoking the plaintiff’s title in accordance with the law or paying compensation rendered its actions unlawful. The court affirmed that the plaintiff’s Certificate of Occupancy remains valid, subsisting and enforceable.
The judge consequently issued a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, their agents, servants and privies from further interfering with the company’s ownership and possession of the land.
He further directed them to vacate the property and remove all structures and installations erected on it.
The court awarded ₦15 million as special damages and ₦50 million as general damages, bringing the total compensation to ₦65 million. It also awarded ₦7,200 as the cost of the suit and ordered that the judgment sum should attract 10 per cent annual interest until fully paid.
Reacting to the verdict, counsel to the plaintiff, Barrister Sulaiman Abdurrahim, described the judgment as a “victory for justice and due process’, arguing that the state government failed to comply with the provisions of the Land Use Act before taking possession of the property.
“The Land Use Act is clear that where a valid Certificate of Occupancy exists, government must lawfully revoke the title, notify the owner and pay adequate compensation before acquiring such land for public purposes,” he said.
Abdurrahim further alleged that despite two earlier court orders restraining further work on the property, the government proceeded with development on the site.
“Our client has a valid Certificate of Occupancy, yet the government neither followed due process nor complied with the court’s restraining orders,” the lawyer added.
He called on Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya to comply with the judgment by paying the compensation awarded by the court and relinquishing possession of the land in line with the ruling.
Counsel representing Grandscope Construction Ltd, the Gombe State Government, the Attorney General of Gombe State and the Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport were absent when the judgment was delivered.