Zamfara Govt, Right to Seize over 40 Official Vehicles from Matawalle, Rules Court of Appeal

The Court of Appeal in Sokoto has delivered a major blow to former Zamfara State Governor, Bello Mohammed Matawalle, by affirming the state’s seizure of more than 40 official vehicles taken from his possession shortly after leaving office.

A three-member panel led by Justice Abubakar Mahmud Talba dismissed Matawalle’s appeal, ruling that he failed to provide convincing proof that the vehicles were his personal property.

The court held that the Nigeria Police acted lawfully in recovering the vehicles on the request of the Zamfara State Government.

The judgment upheld a December 2023 ruling of the Federal High Court in Sokoto, which found no breach of Matawalle’s fundamental rights and affirmed the vehicles as state-owned assets.

The controversy began in June 2023 when the Zamfara State Government issued a five-day ultimatum for the return of all official vehicles.

Following non-compliance, the police recovered the vehicles from the former governor’s residence and other locations.
With this ruling, the Zamfara State Government retains ownership of the vehicles, marking the end of a legal battle that has lasted more than a year.

Matawalle, now Minister of State for Defence, has yet to publicly react to the court’s decision.