The Kaduna State Government has defended the demolition of a building which was being used as the secretariat of a faction of the All Progressives Congress in the state.
The demolition of the building on Tuesday morning has caused a political storm as it comes just days after the faction of the party emerged and announced that it had suspended Governor Nasir El-Rufai from the party.
But the state government insists it has nothing to do with politics.
The Director-General of the Kaduna State Geographic Information Service (KADGIS), Mr Ibrahim Husseini, said the building was brought down as part of an exercise to rid the state of illegal structures, tackle street trading and restore order across the state.
“This morning a building on 11B Sambo Close was removed for flagrant violations of land use and non-payment of ground rent since 2010,” Mr Husseini said.
“This illegal violation of use had begun to distress neighbours who were being forced to endure an influx of thugs and blockage of the road.”
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The KADGIS DG explained in a statement that due process was followed and that the state government only revoked the land on which the building was cited after the owners failed to pay land charges and comply with government directives.
He said, “Since 2016, the government has been taking action on various land-related matters, including revoking all undeveloped land titles in the state and directed that all abandoned buildings be developed within three months of the notice.
“The Kaduna Geographic Information Service (KADGIS) issued a revocation notice of the statutory right of occupancy No. KD. 16712, that covers 11b Sambo Close in the Ungwan Rimi area.
“The appropriate notice of revocation was delivered at 28 Inuwa Wada Road, the registered address of the company that held the title to the property. The notice was also delivered to the building in question and sent by post to the registered address of the previous title holder.”
After revoking the land, Husseini said, the state government allocated it to the Kaduna State Urban Planning and Development Agency “for the purpose of developing and maintaining a public park that will provide a green area and a serene place for recreation in that residential neighbourhood”.
The government warned all title owners to comply with the terms of the allocation or risk suffering a similar fate.
“The purpose of allocation of land cannot be wilfully altered; neither can title holders lawfully neglect to pay their ground rents,” it said while calling on residents to support it in getting rid of poor structures in the state.
‘Act of terror’
The affected faction is not buying the explanation of the state government, however, and has described the demolition as ‘an act of terror’.
The group had opened the parallel office at 11B Sambo close in the state capital on Thursday last week after party in the state announced the suspension of the Senator representing Kaduna North district, Suleiman Hunkuyi, and expulsion of 28 other members for anti-party activities.
A Chieftain of the APC loyal to the new faction, Mikaiah Tokwak, told Channels Television that the action had given credence to their insistence that their constitutionally guaranteed rights to freely associate was under attack.
The Senate has also condemned the demolition of the secretariat.
