The Kano State Government has been warned to desist from harassing, victimizing and intimidating a legal luminary, Barrister Nureni Jimoh who won two cases against the government simultaneously on Tuesday.
This was made known by a member of the Aare Ona Kakanfo in council, Hon. Akeem Ademola Ige who is the Baameto of Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland while reacting to a report that the Kano State Government on Wednesday sealed a one-storey building that accommodated many offices, including the chamber of his kinsman, Barrister Nureni Jimoh (SAN).
It would be recalled that Barrister Jimoh led the suit where an Abuja-based Federal High court ordered the Kano State Government to apologise and pay N10m to the deposed Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi, for violating his fundamental human rights on Tuesday as well as victory for Shekarau-led faction against the Governor Abdullahi Ganduje-led faction of the ruling APC in the State.
But yesterday 1st December, 2021, some officials of the Kano State Internal Revenue Service sealed the building over alleged non-payment of ground rate to the tune of over N3bn.
Reacting to the incident, Hon. Ige said that it came to him as a surprise that the government under the leadership of His Excellency, Governor Umar Ganduje could take such a step less than 24 hours after Barrister Jimoh got the two judgments against the government of Kano State.
Ige said that he was informed that while the building was sealed up, Barrister Jimoh’s staff members and other persons were locked inside the structure and they had to escape by scaling the fence of the building.
He added that Barrister Jimoh has also been getting anonymous phone calls threatening him to leave Kano, where he resides and has been practicing for more than 20 years.
Ige hinted that this development has become a serious concern to him considering the fact that Barrister Jimoh, a prominent son of Ibadan who hails from Odinjo in Ibadan South East local government area is his kinsman and brother.
Hon. Ige, however, appealed to well meaning Nigerians to prevail on the Kano State Government to leave Barrister Jimoh alone and not to take action that can create unnecessary tension in the country.
He further called on members of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) both at National and Kano State branch to rise up and protect their own and ensure that nothing whatsoever happens to Barrister Jimoh in the hands of the Kano State government.
“Barrister Nureni Jimoh is a proud son of Ibadan. He is an erudite, brilliant, competent and fearless legal practitioner. Barrister Jimoh who is in early 50s got to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) just a year ago purely on merit. As a young Lawyer, he joined the chambers of Olujinmi and Akeredolu where he practiced briefly before relocating to Kano where he did his one year compulsory youth service and has been practicing his law profession till now”. Ige concluded.
