The Court of Appeal in Sokoto has upheld the Federal High Court’s decision to dismiss the appeal filed by former Zamfara State Governor Bello Matawalle.
The case challenges the decision that the more than 40 official vehicles he allegedly took after leaving office were state property.
In a unanimous decision delivered on August 8, 2025, a three-member panel of the Appeal Court upheld the lower court’s ruling that the police have the right to investigate allegations of a crime.
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According to a statement by the Zamfara State Governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Idris, the court held that Matawalle “failed to adduce credible evidence to support his claim of ownership of the 40 vehicles recovered from his residence.”
In June 2023, the Zamfara State Government gave Matawalle five working days to return all vehicles. As noted in the statement, “In June 2023, the Zamfara State Government gave former governor Bello Matawalle and his deputy five working days to return all vehicles stolen.”
After attempts to recover the vehicles failed, the Zamfara police, acting on a court order, seized over 40 vehicles from Matawalle’s residence.
Matawalle then filed a suit seeking to enforce his fundamental right to own property. However, the Federal High Court in Sokoto dismissed the case in December 2023, and as a result, “the vehicles are still considered the property of the Zamfara State Government.” Dissatisfied with this decision, Matawalle appealed the judgment.
A subsequent government house statement said that the Appeal Court “last Friday upheld the entirety of the judgment of the Federal High Court, Sokoto, affirming that the police have the power to investigate allegations of the commission of a crime upon receipt of a complaint.”
The statement added that the entire procedure for retrieving the vehicles was in line with the law and did not violate Matawalle’s fundamental rights.
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