The Court of Appeal in Abuja has directed a fresh hearing in the case concerning the disputed Kano Emirate and Alhaji Nasir Ado Bayero.
In its ruling on Friday, the Appellate Court found that Bayero was denied a fair hearing due to the improper manner in which the Kano High Court conducted its proceedings against him.
Justice Mohammed Mustapha, who delivered the lead judgment, emphasized that the Kano High Court acted unfairly toward Bayero by proceeding without notifying him of the hearing, thus preventing him from presenting his case.
Justice Mustapha stressed that all courts are required to ensure justice for all parties, providing equal opportunities for representation. He noted that the handling of the case against Bayero amounted to a “travesty of justice.”
The Appellate Court specifically ruled that Bayero should have been given a hearing notice to present his arguments before any judgment was made in what it described as a “shoddy arrangement.”
Consequently, the Court of Appeal ordered the case to be returned to the Chief Judge of the Kano State High Court, with instructions to reassign it to a different judge for swift resolution.
No costs were awarded against the respondents in the appeal filed by Alhaji Ado Bayero.
