New governor of Kano, Abba begins demolition of ‘illegal’ structures

Abba Kabir Yusuf, also known as Abba Gida-Gida, was recently elected as the new governor of Kano State. In his first act as governor, he took action against illegally constructed structures on government properties.

According to the report, late on Friday night, a task force assembled by the governor began demolishing buildings that were located within the Kano Race Course (Filin Sukuwa).

This action is in line with the resolute stance that Governor Abba Gida-Gida outlined in his inaugural speech earlier this week.

He issued a clear directive to all of the state’s security agencies, ordering them to promptly reclaim all public properties that had been sold during the previous administration, which was led by former Governor Umaru Ganduje.

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In response to this matter, the Governor of the state, Abba Gida-Gida, made the following statement: “Today, I announce that all of these public places and assets, which were unlawfully looted and sold by the Ganduje administration, must be seized by law enforcement agencies.” This effort will be led by the police, DSS, Civil Defence, and Hisbah until the government makes a final decision.

The properties at issue include a wide variety of locations, including educational institutions, places of worship and cultural heritage, medical facilities and clinics, cemeteries, green spaces, and the Kano city wall. In addition, individuals and their associates were illegally given ownership of landed properties and assets that belonged to Kano State. These properties and assets were located both inside and outside of the state.

In order to guarantee that justice is carried out, Governor Abba Gida-Gida announced that the formation of a Judicial Commission of Inquiry would take place in the days to come. It will be used to investigate and prosecute all of those responsible for the illegal activities, as well as those who aided and abetted those responsible for the illegal activities.

In a separate but related development, the governor on Friday issued an order stopping all land development projects at the Hajj Camp immediately, which was the subject of a directive that he also issued. During his trip to the Kano State Pilgrims Camp, he voiced his disappointment over the state of the facility to those who were with him.

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“It is extremely disheartening to see a facility that was designed with the intention of providing pilgrims from Kano State and further afield with a home away from home as it has been degraded,” said one pilgrim. According to Governor Abba Gida-Gida, “the administration that just left office shamefully sold numerous parcels of land to their friends and associates.”