— But Shops owners petition Police to investigate criminal aspect of demolition
By Aminu Garko
THE Masallacin Eid Shop Owners and Trader Association( MEOTA) Kano State,has said that the state government,has commence the payment of N1 billion out of N3 billion agreed to pay to the owner of shops ,which the government of Abba Kabir Yusuf, illegally demolished.
This is just as the MEOTA ,has said that no fewer than 30 people allegedly lost their lives during and after the illegal demolition carried out by the state government
Speaking on behalf of the MEOTA, on Thursday Barister Maaruf Muhammed Yakasai ,while addressing a press alongside members of the traders at the State headquarters of the Nigeria Union of Journalists ( NUJ),however disclosed that despite the State government had started the payment ,the MEOTA ,has petition Kano state police command to investigate the criminal aspect of it.
He added that in view of the psychological trauma untold hardship and untimely death suffered ,the MEOTA,has decided to write a letter of petition to the Nigeria Police on complaints of alleged criminal conspiracy ,theft ,criminal misappropriation against that act while carried out the illegal demotion.
Barrister Yakasai stated that ” on the 5th day of May, 2023 was the black day to the traders and owners of shops and thousands of people getting their means of livelihood in the area”
He disclosed that ” At about 01:00 hours, after we all closed our shops and businesses, the democratically elected Government of Kano State, under the leadership of Abba Kabir Yusuf, without any notice or opportunity for our members to park their goods and other movable properties, with no iota of sympathy, demolished the structures/shops in the area”
He added that ” Selfish individuals with criminal minds were also encouraged by the Government to loot our properties as the demolishing was on going. They described our hard own properties as public properties and declared same as free for all”
Consequently, the suspects succeeded in destroying all the structures/shops/ goods and monies (cash) kept in some shops, rendering the victims helpless, poor, jobless without any justification whatsoever.”
Some of the victims lost their lives, some are now patients with different sickness, including the killer ‘stroke’.
The victims’ orphans and children are left with no parental care and attention, many are rendered homeless; poor or no education, medical care, because breadwinners are either dead or have lost their means of livelihood.
The total estimated value of the properties lost and destroyed is two hundred and sixty billion Naira (N260,000,000.00).
‘We know as a fact that Government has power to revoke any right of occupancy but only for overriding public interest. Also a sufficient notice must be served and compensation paid before the revocation.”
These requirements were never satisfied by the Government, no attempt was made whatsoever. It is also against the Law to carry out such operation in the middle of the night
Dissatisfied with the act of the suspects, our client instituted an action seeking for the enforcement of their fundamental right to own property enshrined under Chapter 1V of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) before the Federal High Court in suit No. FHC/CS/208/2023 between the Incorporated Trustees of Masallacin Eid Shop Owners and Traders Association and Kano State Government & Ors.
He said the MEOTA ,now called on the law enforcement agency to investigate the criminal aspect of the act adding that ” We the
members of the Association have suffered from psychological trauma as a result of the unlawful acts of the Suspects either directly or indirectly, destruction and loss of their properties worth billions of Naira which were stolen in addition to loss of business and means of livelihoods.
