Court restrains Kano from borrowing N10bn for CCTV project

A federal high court in Kano has restrained the Kano state government from borrowing N10 billion to install closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras.

The Kano house of assembly had on June 15 approved a request by Abdullahi Ganduje, governor of the state, to obtain the N10 billion loan.

The request was contained in a letter dated March 18, 2022, which the governor sent to the assembly.

The governor stated that the loan is to fund a CCTV camera project in the Kano metropolis.

But the Kano First Forum (KFF), a coalition of NGOs, filed a suit to stop the governor from borrowing the money on the grounds of non-compliance with rules and regulations governing loan transactions.

Moving an ex parte motion dated June 27, KFF through its lawyers, led by Badamasi Suleiman-Gandu, on Friday, prayed the court to restrain Ganduje from borrowing the sum.

Abdullahi Liman, the presiding judge, granted the prayers and ordered all parties in the suit to maintain status quo.

He also ordered the plaintiff to serve court processes on all the respondents.

Other respondents in the suit are the attorney-general of Kano state, Kano state commissioner of finance and speaker of the Kano state house of assembly.

Others are Access Bank, the federal ministry of finance, the Debt Management Office and the Fiscal Responsibility Commission.