Court slams N.5m damages on Kano Hisbah board

The lingering legal battle between the Hotel Owners Association and the Kano State Hisbah Board has come to an end with the court slamming a N500,000 damages on the latter.

Justice R. A Sadiq of the Kano State High Court restrained Hibah guards from carrying out any further attack, arrest, or prosecution of the hoteliers in the state.

The trial judge in the case filed in March, 2014, upheld the submission of the applicants that Hisbah officials overstepped their bounds, in their enforcement of the law.

Counsel for the plaintiffs, Magaji Ibrahim, had sought for a declaration that the attacks, arrests and prosecution by the Hisbah guards of the hotel owners were illegal and unconstitutional.

He had argued that the mandate of the Hisbah board did not empower them to harass, attack, raid, arrest and prosecute the hoteliers, “who are lawfully doing their legitimate business, as recognised by the law of the land and state.”

The Hoteliers Owners Association had also claimed that they had lost millions of naira to the illegal action of the Hisbah board, which had carried raids on their business premises.

Also, in a related development, a Kano State High Court, presided over by Justice A. T. Badamasi, has granted a perpetual injunction, against the Nigeria Hotel Association Incorporated Trustees from parading themselves as leaders of the Hotel Owners Association in the state.

The HOA had instituted an action against the Nigeria Hotel Association, claiming to be the only lawful body of hotel owners in the state.

In his ruling, Justice Badamasi, said NHA should stop parading themselves as the authentic organ of the association.