Thousands protest over demolition exercise in Zaria

Residents of Kaduna State stormed the Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Kaduna on Tuesday protesting the planned demolition of their houses by the state government, under the leadership of Governor Nasir El-Rufai.

The protesters, who were largely women and children, cried profusely and uncontrollably, stressing that their pains and poverty were about to ‎be aggravated should the state government go ahead with the planned demolition.

Leading the protesters, Mallam Usman Aliyu told journalists that over 300 houses had been marked for demolition in the next two weeks by the Kaduna State Urban Planning Development‎ Authority (KASUPDA).

The houses, he said, were located behind the state library, Kofan Doka in Zaria local government area of the state, stressing that some of the houses marked for demolition were built over 20 years before the state library was built.

Also speaking amidst tears, Hajiya Aisha Abdullahi, said, “we regret voting for this government, because of a truth, we voted for change but this is not the change we voted for. We are poor people and now our pains is about to be increased as we are about‎ to be made homeless and thrown into the cold with our children.”

Lamenting also, Hajiya Habiba Usman in an apparent frustration said, “We want the governor to look at us with the eye of mercy, we have lived there all our lives and we don’t have any other place to go.

“We cannot afford to rent any house or purchase any land because of our ‎ present condition, so we are appealing to the government to come to our aid.”

Some of the placards carried by the protesters read: “we voted for change not demolition, don’t make us homeless,” “End forceful eviction,” “we are dying of poverty, don’t make our condition worst”.

The protesters said they had been served three weeks notice to evacuate their belongings and vacate the said land, with only two weeks left.

It could be recalled that the state government had reiterated its commitment to recover all the school and hospital lands acquired by individuals or organizations.

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