The demolished property belongs to a faction of the All Progressive Congress in the Kaduna State was pulled down by the state government.
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.
The APC in Kaduna is split in three different factions, although the one backed by Governor Nasir El-Rufai is recognised by the party’s national leadership.
The demolished building is located at Sambo road and was demolished in the early hours of Tuesday in the presence of armed security operatives.
A Twitter account believed to belong to a senator from the state, Suleiman Hunkuyi, confirmed the demolition.
“In the early hours of today, the @GovKaduna Mallam @elrufai personally drove a bulldozer accompanied by armored tanks to destroy my house at 11B Sambo Road. This is a new low and fighting dirty with such low level of pettiness is indeed unprecedented in Kaduna State,” the account tweeted sharing short videos of the demolition.
Mr. Hunkuyi, an APC senator, has vowed to work against the re-election of Mr. El-Rufai, and is believed to be the sponsor of the APC faction using the demolished building.
But reacting, the Director-General of the Kaduna State Geographic Information Service (KADGIS), Mr. Ibrahim Husseini, said this has nothing to do with politics.
“This morning a building on 11B Sambo Close was removed for flagrant violations of land use and non-payment of ground rent since 2010.
“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.
“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,” he said.
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.
Meanwhile, the affected faction is not buying the explanation of the state government, however, and has described the demolition as ‘an act of terror’.
