The National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Kano Judicial Division, has refused separate ex parte applications filed by former members of the Kano State Executive Council seeking to restrain the state government from retrieving official vehicles allocated to them while in office.

Our sources reports that the applications, which stem from similar circumstances and seek identical reliefs, were taken together before Justice Mahmood Abba Namtari on Monday.

In a brief ruling, the court declined to grant the interim orders sought and directed that the matters be heard on notice.

The suits were subsequently adjourned to March 10, 2026, for further proceedings.

The former commissioners involved in the suits are Dr Yusuf Ibrahim K/Mata, former Commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovation; AVM Ibrahim Umar (Rtd), former Commissioner for Internal Security; Nasir Sule Garo, former Commissioner for Special Duties; Adamu Aliyu Kibiya, former Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation; and Mustapha Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, former Commissioner for Youth.

In their respective actions, the claimants listed the Attorney General of Kano State, the Governor of Kano State, and the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission as defendants.

The former commissioners were represented by Suraj Sa’ed, SAN, who led a team of five other lawyers — Mukhtar Sani Daneji, Dalhatu Yusuf Dada, Yusif Mu’azu Sani, Auwal Adam Ibrahim and Muhammad Uba Yakubu.

The legal team filed the motions ex parte pursuant to Order 17 Rule 1 of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2017.

In the court documents sighted by Our sources the claimants prayed for interim injunctions restraining the respondents, their servants, agents, or privies from taking any steps to retrieve the official vehicles pending the hearing and determination of motions already filed on notice before the court.

The ex-commissioners contended that upon their appointments into the Kano State Executive Council, they were allocated official vehicles as part of their conditions of service.

They argued that, by convention and in line with the determination of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, commissioners are entitled to retain such vehicles at the end of their tenure.

According to the affidavits filed in support of the applications, the former commissioners resigned their appointments in January 2026.

They alleged that subsequent letters from the Office of the Secretary to the State Government directed them to return all official vehicles in their possession.

Separate communications from the Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission also reportedly warned that failure to comply could result in enforcement measures to recover government property.

In their written addresses, counsel to the applicants submitted that the purpose of an interim injunction is to preserve the status quo pending the determination of substantive rights.

They urged the court to grant the applications in the interest of justice, arguing that the balance of convenience favoured the applicants.

Justice Namtari, however, declined to grant the ex parte reliefs and ordered that the respondents be put on notice, thereby allowing all parties to be heard before any interim order is made.

The rulings are part of an ongoing legal contest between the Kano State Government and several former commissioners over whether they are entitled to retain official vehicles allocated during their tenure.

The court is expected to consider the substantive applications when the matters come up on March 10, 2026.