Ex-Zamfara Governor Matawalle loses appeal over 40 confiscated vehicles
The Court of Appeal in Sokoto has dismissed the appeal filed by former governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, challenging the confiscation of 40 government vehicles he carted away after he lost the 2023 General Elections.
Matawalle, now minister of state for defence, had claimed that the high value vehicles were his personal property, and had gone the Federal High Court Sokoto to challenge the confiscation of the vehicles but lost the case.
The news administration of Governor Dauda Lawal had in June 2023, filed a complain with the police over the vehicles, which were subsequently retrieved from the residence of Matawalle and other locations.
More than 40 official vehicles where recovered from him and members of his cabinet who lost power.
According to Sulaiman Bala Idris, media aide to Governor Lawal, a three-member panel of the Appeal Court unanimous dismissed Matawalle’s appeal.
The decision of the court was delivered by Justice A.M Talba on August 8, 2025, Idris said in a statement.
According to him, the Court in suit No. CS//S/2024 – Bello Muhammed Matawalle vs Nigeria Police & Others, held that the decision of the Federal High Court Sokoto division on the right of the Police to investigate allegations of commission of crime was correct.
It further held that Matawalle failed to adduce credible evidence to support his claim of ownership of the 40 vehicles recovered from his residence, as such lacks justification to allege that his fundamental right to own property has been breached.
The statement reads: “In June 2023, the Zamfara State Government gave former governor Bello Matawalle and his deputy five working days to return all vehicles stolen.
“However, all attempts to recover these vehicles were unsuccessful, prompting the Zamfara State Government to seek a court order. After the order was issued, police recovered over 40 vehicles.
“After the vehicles were recovered, Bello Matawalle approached the Federal High Court in Gusau and the court granted an order that the cars be returned to him. Additionally, he filed a separate suit at the same court, seeking to enforce his fundamental right to own property, including the vehicles in question.
“The Zamfara State Government requested the transfer of the case to the Sokoto division of the Federal High Court.
“The Federal High Court of Nigeria, Sokoto Judicial Division, dismissed the matter in December 2023 and refused to grant any of the reliefs sought by Bello Matawalle. As a result, the vehicles are still considered the property of the Zamfara State Government.”
