Demolition: El-Rufai moves to render over 4,000 families homeless in Kaduna

The Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOUKAPU) has called on President Muhamadu Buhari to help save the people of Gbaggyi Villa, a community housing over 4,000 families from the planned demolition by Governor El-Rufai’s in Kaduna.

Mr Chris Obodumu who is the chairman of Gbaggyi Villa property owners, addressing newsmen shortly after the peaceful protest on Thursday, said the land in question has a government white paper issued to show its authenticity before the property owners came and bought it.

“The late Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, after due process through the court inaugurated a White Paper committee in May 2011, which looked into the matter and amicably demarcated the boundary between the two parties. The Polytechnic accepted the resolution of the dispute and, thereafter, proceeded to erect a concrete perimeter fencing demarcating its land from that of the community.

“It’s clear to us that the Polytechnic is not laying claim to Gbagyi Villa and has no pending case against us. For the Kaduna State Government to claim that our community, after 9 years of existence, sits on Polytechnic land is incomprehensible to us.

“The allegation by KASUPDA of non possession of planning permits is false. KASUPDA knows this. It is just a way to deceive the public and to obscure the true motive of the government.

“We wish to reiterate that Gbagyi Villa came into existence through a legitimate, lawful process; it has no dispute with any of its neighbours, nor any institution laying claim to the land on which it is situated,” the chairman said, “Gbagyi Villa has been marked for demolition for reasons that cannot be justified. The position of the Mallam El-Rufai’S government on this issue scorns at the amicable resolution of the dispute with the consent of a court of law.

“It denounces the boundary demarcation by the State Surveyor General and accepted by the Polytechnic in writing and through the construction of a concrete fence. It repudiates the White Paper released by the state government on the matter.”

The community called on the government to investigate its agency ‘KASUPDA’ having collected much money through the years from property owner, before issuing a file number and planning permits to residents of the community  to ascertain the stand that the agency had approved some building plans for developers.

The owner of Habek International School Dr. D Bijimi, and Mr. Joshua Nyam both showed letters issued to them by the Kaduna State Urban Planing and Development Authority (KASUPDA) through Ref. No.PS/14/ZIII/16,090/VOL.I/018 and PS/14/PP/ZIII/15,727/VOL.I, granting them planning permissions.