The Landlords/Caretakers Association, Kano, has dragged the chairman of Fagge Local Government Area (first defendant), Fagge Local Government Area (second defendant) and a consulting firm–A.A.J Global Concepts Nigeria LTD (third defendant), to a Kano High Court sitting in Gezawa over exorbitant tenancy fees imposed on them by the local authorities.
The Vacation Court No.4, Gezawa Division, presided over by Justice Musa Daihuru Mohammed, ordered the first, second and third defendants to maintain the status quo, until 25 August when the Motion on Notice is slated for hearing.
According to the Court Order: “Upon reading the motion x-parte together with 29 paragraph accompanying affidavit in support duly deposed to by the Mr. Kunle Johnson Ogunleye (the secretary of the plaintiff/Applicant), dated 18th day of August, 2025, and written address filed by the plaintiff/applicant counsel.
“And after hearing Morgans C. Omereonye Esq. (appearing with U. Akpan Esq.) Counsel for the plaintiff/applicant.
“It is hereby ordered as follows: That parties shall maintain status quo pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice filed on 11/8/2025.
“The Motion on Notice is slated for hearing on the 25th day of August, 2025 for hearing of the Motion on Notice.”
Our Correspondent reports that landlords and caretakers in Sabon Gari had cried out over what they described as exorbitant tenancy fees slammed on them by the authorities of Fagge Local Government Area.
In a Press Statement signed by the chairman and secretary of the Association, Chief Basil Ulasi and Comrade Kunle Johnson Ogunleye, they appealed to the state Governor, Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf and other relevant authorities to quickly intervene, before the situation gets out of hand.
The landlords and caretakers pointedly accused Fagge Local Government Area and the Kano state Ministry of Land of working against the dictates of Kano state Land Act, to the detriments of landlords and tenants in the ancient commercial city of Kano.
According to them, the government’s unpopular Sledge Harmer concentrated, largely, in Sabon Gari, an enclave predominantly dominated by non-natives.
“We have been paying tenancy fees and rates to Fagge Local Government Area on mutual understanding, without hassles, over the years.
“The tenancy rates and fees were below N5000, until 2024 when they increased to N15, 000 for downstairs and N20, 000 for upstairs per annum. We complied and paid without complaining.
“But to our consternation, in 2025, they brought some individuals, posing as consultants to Fagge Local Government Area, under the normanclature of AAJ Consultancy Firm, who hiked the tenancy rates and fees to over N1 million,” the Statement said.
The Kano landlords and caretakers also accused the state Ministry of Land of exploitation and multiple taxation.
The Statement further stated that, “the state Ministry of Land through what they call Kanjis also demand over N1.6 annual rates and fees from landlords on the same property the Fagge Local Government Area is collecting tenancy rates and fees.”
The Association, however, appealed to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and other relevant authorities to quickly intervene before the situation snowball into anarchy.
“Everybody is aware of the biting economic hardship in the country. Nigerians of all cadres are suffering. The landlords, caretakers and tenants are not finding things easy. An injury to the landlords is also an injury to the tenants.
“If these injustice is left unchecked, tenants, and indeed, innocent Nigerians will bear the avoidable consequences. Therefore, there is a nagging need for Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to intervene without delay,” the Statement added.
247ureports.com had reported that
Tension mounted within the Sabon Gari axis of Kano as many traders and business owners cry out over the sealing of their shops, mini-malls, marts, and other business premises.
According to eyewitness accounts and shop owners, government officials acting under the directive of the State Ministry of Lands and Physical Planning stormed the commercial district of Saving Gari, overnight and padlocked numerous business outlets.
Our Correspondent gathered that the officials cited the non-payment of annual tenement rates by property owners as justification for the action.
However, the enforcement measure has sparked outrage among the affected business operators, the majority of whom are tenants and claim to have no knowledge of any outstanding tenement levies owed to the government.
The sealed shops include grocery stores, boutiques, restaurants, salons, electronics outlets, and various small and medium enterprises—many of which deal in perishable goods now at risk of spoilage.
“I arrived at my shop this morning to begin preparing food for our morning customers only to see it locked with a government padlock. All my food items—meat, vegetables, drinks—are trapped inside. They will all go bad in a matter of hours. Who is going to pay me back for this loss?” lamented Mrs. Nkechi Ugwu, who runs a small restaurant along France Road.
Another affected trader, Mr. Ayodele Makinde, who owns a household electronics shop, expressed dismay over the indiscriminate nature of the government’s action.
“This is not just about money anymore. It is about injustice. We are tenants. We pay our rent dutifully to landlords. If there’s a levy issue, it’s between the government and the property owners. Why punish us?”
Reports indicate that many of the sealed buildings are owned by private landlords, and the tenants had neither prior notice nor official communication from the state government before the nighttime operation.
This, according to observers, raises legal and ethical concerns.
A cosmetics vendor, Joy Onuorah, shared her frustration: “I am a widow with three children. This business is how I survive. Now my shop is under lock and key. No notice, no dialogue—just oppression. We are being punished simply because we are non-indigenes.”
The Sabon Gari area, historically home to a significant population of non-indigenous Nigerians—predominantly from the South-East and South-West regions—is now witnessing growing anxiety. Several community leaders and civil society organizations are interpreting the government’s action as an ethnic and economic aggression targeted at non-indigenous residents.
“This is not happening in any other business area in Kano. Go to Tarauni, Kurna, or even Wapa in Fagge. Nothing like this is happening there. Why always Sabon Gari? It speaks volumes about the mindset of the current administration,” said Mr. Leo Ikenna, a community leader in the area.
The economic impact is also staggering. Analysts estimate that losses from the sudden lockdown—especially for businesses dealing in perishables and daily sales—may run into hundreds of millions of naira within just 24 hours. For a state grappling with growing unemployment and economic stagnation, critics argue this is a step in the wrong direction.
In the wake of the development, the affected traders and residents are calling on Hon. Seyi Olorunsola, Senior Legislative Aide to the Deputy Senate President and a former Councillor in Fagge Local Government Area, to bring their plight to the attention of federal authorities.
“We are appealing to Hon. Seyi Olorunsola to help amplify our voices to the Deputy Senate President, Distinguished Senator Barau Jibril, and the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Rt. Hon. Abdullahi Yusuf Atah, who is a son of the soil from Fagge. Let them intervene before this injustice festers into a bigger crisis,” the traders said in a joint appeal.
As of press time, there has been no official response from the Kano State Government on whether the action will be reversed or if the sealed shops will be reopened. Meanwhile, the atmosphere in Sabon Gari remains tense as business owners, residents, and passersby gather in clusters, waiting anxiously for clarity and hoping for a resolution.
