The Federal High Court sitting in Kano, presided over by Honourable Justice M. N. Yunusa, has commenced winding up proceedings against Teuton Industries Ltd., a company jointly owned by the late AVM Hamza Abdullahi and the late Alhaji Isa Abdullahi.
The suit, filed under suit No. FHC/KN/CS/378/2024, reveals that the late AVM Hamza Abdullahi, former military governor of Kano State and former minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja during Babangida’s regime, owned 75% of the company’s shares, while the late Alhaji Isa Abdullahi held the remaining 25%.
Court documents made available to TheNigeriaLawyer show that since the death of AVM Hamza Abdullahi on January 3rd, 2019, his estate has been entangled in litigation. Teuton Industries Ltd, besides having various assets and properties described in the winding up petition, holds a 5% stake in Dornier Aviation Nigeria AIEP Ltd. (DANA). The supporting documents reveal that the late AVM Hamza Abdullahi was a director and chairman of DANA before his demise.
The court documents also disclosed that Teuton Industries Ltd has ceased operations and failed to hold statutory meetings, appoint a chairman for the board of directors, or hold any board meetings. The company has also neglected to hold annual general meetings or file and deliver statutory reports to the Corporate Affairs Commission. The heirs of Alhaji Isa Abdullahi wrote to the heirs of the late AVM Hamza Abdullahi, requesting to be bought out of the company, but their request was refused.
The plaintiff, Abdullahi Isa, through his lawyer K. M. Nura, Esq., prayed the court for an order to wind up Teuton Industries Limited under the provisions of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020, appoint a liquidator to value and share the company’s assets among the heirs of the deceased shareholders, and direct Fatima Hamza and Abdullahi Hamza to render accounts to the liquidator for the management of Teuton Industries Ltd’s assets from January 3rd, 2019, to date.
On December 11th, 2024, the court ordered the appointment of Abdullahi Isa as a representative, granting him leave to sue for himself and on behalf of the families of the late Alhaji Isa Abdullahi against the respondents. The court also ordered the . of the petition in a gazette, Daily Trust newspaper, and Kano Chronicle/Pyramid newspaper in circulation, as well as the appointment of a provisional liquidator for Teuton Industries Limited to take immediate possession of its assets and records and manage them pending the hearing of the petition.
In a related matter, the Kano State High Court No. 2, presided over by Honourable Justice Yusuf Ubale Muhammad, in suit No. K/726/23, had earlier restrained Fatima Hamza Mai-Bornu, Mohammed Hamza, and Abdullahi Hamza from processing, repatriating, or taking any further steps relating to the estate/assets of the late AVM Hamza Abdullahi situated in Germany, pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.