Court Orders GOGIS to Release Shehu Abubakar Layout Documents Under FOI Act
A Federal High Court in Gombe has ordered the Gombe Geographic Information System (GOGIS) and its former Director-General, Kabiru Usman Hassan, to release documents relating to the redesign of the Shehu Abubakar District Layout to an applicant, Nafi’u Abubakar, within 14 days.
Justice Amina Mohammed, who delivered the judgment on Wednesday at Federal High Court No. 1 in Gombe, held that the respondents violated the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, 2011, by failing to respond to the applicant’s request within the period prescribed by law.
The court also awarded ₦200,000 in costs to the applicant.
The suit, filed on January 8, 2026, through the applicant’s counsel, Barrister M. U. Faruk, was brought under Sections 1, 2, 4, 7, and 20 of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011. Barrister Musa Adamu Kumo represented the respondents.
Abubakar approached the court seeking an order compelling GOGIS to grant him access to documents relating to the contract awarded for the redesign of the Shehu Abubakar District Layout.
Among the documents requested were the list of companies that expressed interest in the project, copies of advertisements or invitations for expressions of interest, submitted bids, details of the successful contractor, contract value, payment records, letters of award and acceptance, as well as the project profile.
He also sought declarations that GOGIS breached Sections 4 and 7 of the FOI Act by failing to provide the requested information within the statutory seven-day period or communicate reasons for refusing access.
In her judgment, Justice Mohammed ruled that the applicant had made a valid FOI request, which the respondents received on December 9, 2025.
“The court finds that the applicant made a valid Freedom of Information request which was duly received by the respondents on 9 December 2025,” the judge stated.
The court further found that the respondents failed to prove they responded to the request within the timeframe required by law.
According to the judgment, the respondents were unable to establish that their purported response, marked as Exhibit R1, was ever served on the applicant. The court held that their failure to respond within the statutory period amounted to a deemed refusal under Sections 4 and 7 of the FOI Act.
Justice Mohammed resolved all three issues raised in the originating summons in favour of the applicant, declaring that he was entitled to access the requested information contained in his FOI application.
The court further ruled that GOGIS’s failure to either provide the requested records or give lawful reasons for denying access constituted a violation of the Freedom of Information Act.
Consequently, the judge ordered the respondents to release all relevant documents in their possession within 14 days. The court also directed that where any requested information is unavailable or exempt from disclosure, GOGIS must provide written reasons for withholding such information in accordance with Section 7 of the FOI Act.
However, the court dismissed the applicant’s claims for ₦100 million in general damages and ₦5 million as litigation costs.
Justice Mohammed explained that the Freedom of Information Act is designed to promote transparency and accountability in public institutions rather than serve as a basis for punitive financial awards.
She held that the applicant failed to provide sufficient evidence of special injury, financial loss, or exceptional circumstances that would justify an award of general damages.
In reaching that decision, the court relied on the Supreme Court’s judgment in Iyere v. Bendel Feed and Flour Mill Ltd. (2008), while maintaining the award of ₦200,000 in costs in favour of the applicant.
