Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has resolved a two-year-long land dispute involving the family of late General Sani Abacha. The governor recently returned two properties in Kaduna city that were taken from the Abacha family during the administration of former governor Nasir El-Rufai.

The properties include a parcel of land at No. 9 Abakpa GRA, Kaduna, which measures 2,284 square meters, and another at No. 1 Degel Road, Ungwan Rimi GRA, Kaduna, covering 3,705 square meters. Both properties are covered by Certificates of Occupancy issued by Kaduna State.

In 2022, the Right of Occupancy for these lands was revoked by the El-Rufai administration, citing violations of land-use conditions under the Land Use Act of 1978. The revocation was announced in a newspaper publication, where Sani Abacha’s name appeared as number 34 on the list of affected individuals.

The Abacha family, represented by their lawyer, Reuben Atabo (SAN), took legal action to challenge the revocation, filing suits in the Kaduna State High Court. Among other claims, the family argued that the public revocation caused embarrassment to their name.

In a recent move, Governor Uba Sani reinstated the lands to the Abacha family. In letters dated December 10, 2024, issued by Mustapha Haruna, the Deed Registrar for Kaduna Geographic Information Service (KADGIS), the governor restored the land titles and directed the family to pay any outstanding ground rent.

This decision has been welcomed as a step toward fairness and the resolution of the long-standing dispute. The Abacha family now regains rightful ownership of the properties, bringing an end to the controversy.