The Court of Appeal sitting in Sokoto has affirmed the judgment of the Federal High Court which validated the recovery of more than 40 official vehicles from the residence of former Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle.
READ ALSO: I told Gov Bello to negotiate with bandits – Matawalle
A three-man panel led by Justice A.M. Talba, in a unanimous ruling delivered on August 8, 2025, dismissed Matawalle’s appeal and upheld the decision of the lower court, which held that the Nigeria Police had the legal authority to investigate allegations of crime following a complaint by the Zamfara State Government.
The case stemmed from a raid conducted by the police in June 2023 at Matawalle’s residence, where dozens of government vehicles allegedly taken away by him and members of his cabinet after leaving office on May 29, 2023, were recovered.
Zamfara State Governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, in a statement on Friday, explained that the Appeal Court ruled Matawalle had failed to provide convincing evidence proving ownership of the seized vehicles. The court therefore concluded that his claim of fundamental rights violation lacked merit.
“In June 2023, the Zamfara State Government gave the former governor and his deputy five working days to return the official vehicles. When they failed to comply, the government sought and obtained a court order, which enabled police to recover more than 40 vehicles,” Idris said.
He added that while Matawalle had initially secured an order from the Federal High Court in Gusau for the return of the vehicles, the matter was later transferred to the Federal High Court in Sokoto, which in December 2023 dismissed his suit seeking to enforce ownership rights.
With the judgment, the seized vehicles remain the property of the Zamfara State Government, while the police retain the power to continue investigations and possible prosecution.
