No court reinstated deposed Sokoto district heads – Attorney General

Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Sokoto State, Barrister Nasiru Binji, on Friday said the deposed district heads in the state have lost their royal and traditional status indefinitely, as the court order on them has been vacated.

Binji explained that the district heads remain deposed because the court order had ceased to exist seven days after it was granted.

“The deposed district heads have not been reinstated, as the court order granted by the court has abated,” he added.

He cited Order 13 Rule 3(3) of the High Court of Sokoto State Civil Procedure Rules 2015 to buttress his submission on the matter.

Two deposed district heads of Tambuwal and Kebbe, Alhaji Buhari Dahiru Tambuwal and Alhaji Abubakar Kassim, had gone to court to obtain an order restraining any action against them by Governor Ahmed Aliyu, the Attorney General of the state and the Sultanate Council.

The Sokoto State High Court on June 13, 2024 then ordered “a stay of all actions and or further actions in connection with all matters dealing with and or pertaining to the removal and or dethronement of the district heads in Sokoto State”.

While ruling on the ex parte applications in a suit filed by the deposed district heads, the presiding judge, Justice Kabiru Ahmed, ordered the parties involved in the case to maintain status quo pending the determination of the suit.

Binji on Friday said the order issued on June 13 had been vacated and the district heads remain deposed, contrary to reports that the order is still in force.

“By the operation of Order 13 Rule 3 (3) of the High Court of Sokoto State Civil Procedure Rules 2015 the order has abated (vacated) automatically. Because the order was made ex parte.

“The duration of the order is seven days, and the order was given on 13th of June 2024, therefore it vacated on the 20th June 2024,” the commissioner said.