Tension has gripped some resident of Kaduna metropolis following the
destruction of over 300 houses by the Kaduna State Urban Planning
Development Agency (KASUPDA).
Some of the destroyed houses are still under construction while others
had been completed and are being occupied.
Addressing journalists yesterday, a landlord who spoke on behalf of
the affected persons, Yusuf Zomo, said officials of KASUPDA stormed
the communities around 12 midnight on Friday and went about
“demolishing” houses without any prior notice.
Findings showed that most of the houses were partially destroyed while
in some cases fences were pulled down.
Zomo said personnel of KASUPDA, accompanied by armed security agents
arrived the communities with bulldozers and went from place to place,
“demolishing over 300 houses.”
He listed the affected communities as Baban Saura, Anguwan Waziri,
Karji, Tsohon Kamanz and Angwan Maigyero all located along Yakowa
road, Kaduna.
“Initially they said they didn’t want to see containers on the road
and owners of containers were directed to remove them from the road.
The owners of the containers complied with the directive,” he said.
“At about 12 midnight on Friday when everybody was sleeping, they
(KASUPDA) moved in with caterpillars and bulldozers. They were
accompanied by armed security men who threatened to shoot anyone who
came close to them.
“People were sleeping in their homes when they heard that houses were
being pulled down; they had to run. If you don’t run out, they will
pull down the house on you. People were shouting and running
helplessly.
“If this is a government of the people and they claim that the land
belongs to them, why didn’t they come in the day time and talk to us
and tell us their intentions?
“Up till this moment we don’t know what is their reason for pulling
down our houses. We are crying out to the world to hear what the
government of Kaduna State have done to us. Is Governor Nasir el-Rufai
aware of this or not? We are not fighting, we cannot fight them… But
we are the ones who voted them to power. If there are no people, there
is no government. They should have come in the day time and seek
audience with us so that we can discuss and understand ourselves.”
Reacting to the demolition, Ismaila Dikko managing director of
KASUPDA, said the houses were built illegally.
He said despite several warning, people refused to stop building in the area.
Dikko said since 2012 the agency issued “stop work notices“ to those
who built on the land but they ignored this.
