A businessman, Ibrahim Mukhtar, has threatened to take legal action against the Kano State Urban Planning and Development Authority (KNUPDA) following the demolition of his property.
The building, located at Alhamsad Tower in the Gandu Layout area of Kano, was demolished by KNUPDA on Monday, just after its completion.
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Speaking at a press briefing at the demolished site on Friday, Mukhtar expressed his distress over the demolition, claiming that he had adhered to all necessary procedures when constructing the property. He stated that he had received the required approval from KNUPDA for the building, which was intended to be an eatery, but was demolished “arbitrarily” without prior notice.
“What actually happened as I stand before you with a heavy heart, this is once a beautiful place we constructed, but when I turn back you can see what happened as a result of the demolition that was carried out by KNUPDA of Kano State. We were not given any notice prior to this demolition,” Mukhtar lamented. “We just woke up on Monday morning to find the building in rubble.”
Mukhtar emphasized that he had followed all the required legal steps, including obtaining clearances and approvals from KNUPDA. He also mentioned that the agency had sent representatives to supervise the construction to ensure compliance with the regulations. “My driving force for constructing this eatery is just to help our younger ones, our brothers, our children to get something, to get employment. I’m not in this business to make money,” he said.
In response, Ibrahim Yakubu Adamu, Managing Director of KNUPDA, explained that the building had been encroaching on the main road by about eight meters. Adamu stated that KNUPDA had not issued approval for the construction of the building and that the agency had served Mukhtar two notices, to which he did not respond.
“We have every evidence to demolish his project. At KNUPDA, we never demolish properties without following due process,” Adamu asserted. “Let me tell you that by January, we are stopping demolitions. We have designated courts to prosecute development laws based on Section 16 of the KNUPDA Act.”
Adamu further clarified that while Mukhtar had paid for the application, the payment did not guarantee approval. He confirmed that KNUPDA had monitored the construction from the start and found the structure to be illegal.
“We are treating his case from the development control unit. He applied for approvals and I agree he paid, but that doesn’t guarantee you approval. So, we have every evidence that his structure is illegal, and that is why we demolished it,” he concluded.
