Demolition stirs controversy in Kaduna – Victims petition Gov Yero

The 28 owners of the affected houses who signed the petition along side their leaders Dr. Francis Ogbise, Shuaibu Abu and Aminu Abubakar, chairperson, secretary and treasurer respectively alleged that their houses were destroyed at night without notice. Chapter N138 of the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Law, Decree No. 88 of 1992, section 61, […]

The 28 owners of the affected houses who signed the petition along side their leaders Dr. Francis Ogbise, Shuaibu Abu and Aminu Abubakar, chairperson, secretary and treasurer respectively alleged that their houses were destroyed at night without notice. Chapter N138 of the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Law, Decree No. 88 of 1992, section 61, 62 and 63 started: “The Control Department shall have the power to serve on a developer a demolition notice if a structure erected by the developer is found to be defective as to pose danger or constitute a nuisance to the occupier and the public.  
“(2) Notice served pursuant to subsection (I) of this section shall contain a date not later than 2 days on which the Control Department shall take steps to commence demolition action on the defective structure. Control Department’s power to demolish a defective building after the expiration of the time specified in the notice served under subsection (I) of section 6 of this Act, the Control Department shall take such necessary action to effect the demolition of the defective structure. Cost of demolition to be paid by developer. A developer shall reimburse the Control Department for all expenses reasonably incurred in exercise of its powers under section 62 of this Act.”
The group in the petition said KASUPDA did not follow due process in carrying out the exercise claiming that their structures were not erected on government land.
“You’re Excellency, it is clear that KASUPDA has misused her authority with the illegal demolition of our houses that we spent so much to erect. The selected demolition exercise took place on the night of 2nd to the early morning of 3rd August, 2013 under armed security personnel cover.
“Notice was not given to us. After the demolition exercise ended on the 3th August, 2013, the notice came on the 7th August, 2013. After several letters and meetings with KASUPDA and Commissioner for Lands Kaduna State nothing has been done. Your Excellency, we want you to come to our aid because our houses have been demolished and we have nowhere to go to,” the petition obtained by Daily Trust stated.  
The owners of the houses pointed at some trees marked with red colour paint claiming they serve as land boundary between locals’ land and the government’s.
One of the victims said that officials of KASUPDA, Adamu Aliyu and Charles Ishaku had two weeks before the demolition exercise, inspected their land and showed them a map that suggested they did not build on an illegal land.
“To my greatest surprise, Adamu Aliyu who processed our approval letters from KASUPDA was among the people that came and demolished our houses in the night,” Said Aminu Abubakar.
When contacted on a telephone, the acting General Manager KASUPDA, Mrs Saratu Haruna said she was in a workshop adding that notice was given to all that encroached on government land before the demolition exercise took place.