El-Rufai revokes C of O of Abacha’s hotel
Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has revoked the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) of the comatose Durbar Hotel in Kaduna reportedly owned by late Head of State, General Sani Abacha. The hotel which was recently demolished for its dilapidated condition, had its C of O revoked on claims of owing ground rent for 19 years.
The letter revocation was jointly signed on January 3rd, 2020 by the Kaduna State Governor and the Deed Registrar, Yusuf Muawiyah, of the Kaduna Geographic Information Service (KADGIS), and addressed to Alhaji Mohammed Abacha.
The letter in part says:
“Violation of terms of grant; security and safety risk to the people of Kaduna State.
“In the light of the above, you are hereby notified that the said plot of land had thus been revoked in line with section 28 of the Land Use Act, 2004.
“And whereas the said Durbar Hotels Company Nigeria Ltd has/have failed to comply with the conditions of the grant, it has become necessary that the certificate of occupancy No. KD17789 be revoked.
“Now therefore, in exercise of power conferred upon me by the Land Use Act, CAP L5 Laws of the Federation, Nigeria 2004, I hereby revoke with effect from the 30th day of December, 2019 the Right of Occupancy over the above mentioned plot.”
Before now, a Kaduna-based high court had restrained the governor and other agencies of the state government from demolishing and taking over the hotel, even as the ownership of the hotel had been in contention between the Federal Government and the Abacha family since 2001.
Mohammed Abacha has confirmed that he received the letter notifying him of the government’s decision on January 29, 2020.