Ex-legislator demands N150m compensation for demolished building in Kaduna

A former House of Representatives member from Kaduna, Inuwa Aliyu Lere, is demanding N150 million as compensation from the Kaduna State government over what he described as illegal demolition of part of his storey building.

Lere said the building originally housing 30 shops including office spaces at C.10 Sarame Road, Unguwar Rimi GRA in Kaduna, was partly demolished in 2019 by the Kaduna State Urban Planning and Development Authority (KASUPDA), leaving him with only 10 shops.

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Arewa Trust Weekly reports that the building finally came down following a demolition notice dated October 23rd, 2020, in which KASUPDA stated that there was no valid planning permission for the development, and described the uncompleted structure as “dilapidated,” and “defective,” posing danger and constituting nuisance to the occupier and the public.

KASUPDA’s letter signed by the Director General, Ismail Umaru Dikko, had instructed Lere to, within 21 days, remove the property, failure of which the Authority shall demolish the structure at his expense.

However, speaking with Arewa Trust Weekly, Lere, who owned the property, said his building had a valid planning permission issued to him by the same KASUPDA in 2003.

The permit, sighted by Arewa Trust Weekly, stated that the planning permission is granted for the development of (a) “A storey building- Ground Floor -13 No. shops, 2 offices (b) 1st Floor- 13 No. shops, 2 offices.”

The former legislator told our correspondent that all documents pertaining to the land and building were intact and had personally presented same to KASUPDA boss who viewed it without any reservations before the building was later demolished.

He demanded compensation of N150 million from the state government over what he described as illegal demolition, stressing that failure of which he would have no option but to seek legal redress.

Attempts to reach KASUPDA Director General via phone were unsuccessful and a text message sent to him was not responded to at the time of filing this report.