A Court of Appeal in Sokoto has ruled against former Zamfara State Governor Bello Matawalle, affirming that more than 40 official government vehicles in his possession were not his personal property.
The ruling supports the Federal High Court’s earlier decision and allows the state government to retain the vehicles.
The dispute began in June 2023, when the state government accused Matawalle and his administration of taking government-owned vehicles after his term ended on May 29, 2023.
Following an unsuccessful attempt to retrieve the vehicles, the state government secured a court order, which led the police to raid Matawalle’s residence and seize the vehicles.
According to a statement from Sulaiman Bala Idris, the Zamfara State Governor’s spokesperson, a three-judge panel led by Justice A.M. Talba unanimously dismissed Matawalle’s appeal on August 8, 2025.
The court’s decision, in Appeal No. CS//S/2024 – Bello Muhammed Matawalle vs Nigeria Police & Others, confirmed that the police had the right to investigate the allegations.
The court stated that Matawalle failed to provide sufficient evidence to prove his ownership of the vehicles, therefore invalidating his claim that his fundamental right to own property was violated.
The court also affirmed that the process used by the state government to recover the vehicles was legal and did not infringe on Matawalle’s rights.
This latest ruling follows a series of legal challenges initiated by Matawalle.
After the vehicles were recovered, a Gusau Federal High Court had initially ordered their return to him.
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However, the case was later moved to the Sokoto division of the Federal High Court, which dismissed Matawalle’s claim in December 2023.
Unhappy with that ruling, Matawalle appealed the decision, leading to this most recent verdict.
