Butchers in the ancient Kurmi market in Kano metropolis have continued to lament demolition of their shops by Kano Municipal local government council.
The butchers’ section of the market, with two blocks of 44 shops each, is said to have been in existence for over 120 years until last week when it was reportedly demolished by the local government in its move to ‘modernise’ it.
Speaking to Chronicle, vice chairman of the butchers association in the market, Alhaji Nasidi Nafi’u Yahaya, said the demolition took place after just six hours of giving them notice.
“Initially, they said they were giving us three days to vacate the shops, but, after about six hours, they came and started the demolition without even a single paper containing an order to that effect,” Yahaya said.
“As the vice-chairman of the butchers here for over 28 years, I can assure you I’m not aware of any demolition plans. They brought over 100 thugs with dangerous weapons and forcefully evicted us out of our shops before demolishing them,” he added.
The vice-chairman also alleged that the proposed new shops have already been allocated to other people, some of whom, he said, were not even in the market.
He said since the demolition, the butchers have become squatters in other people’s shops as they have nowhere to go.
Also, Alhaji Sharu Jibrin, who said he had been in the market for 65 years, added that the leaders of butchers in the state collected their passports with the promise of building kiosks for them in the market, only for them to have their shops demolished.
“They were even demolishing and destroying our belongings in the process. As a result of a heart attack I almost had that day, it was my grandchildren that took me home. Now we’ve been rendered jobless,” he said.
Another victim of the demolition, Sanusi Musa, said he had spent over 45 years in the market after inheriting his place from his grandparents.
He told Chronicle that those carrying out the demolition alleged that it was the state governor and his wife that needed the place and ordered for the act.
“We are appealing to Governor Ganduje, Khadimul Islam, to have a second look at this issue and be fair to us, because we are stranded now with nowhere to go,” Musa said, adding that over 500 of them earned their living from the demolished market and may now be rendered jobless.
The secretary of the butchers association, Abba Abdullahi Sani Korau, said they would seek legal redress in court.
“We are occupying this place legally; we have never broken any government law and pay our taxes. So, we are definitely going to institute legal action against the local government to seek redress,” he said.
However, the governor has denied any involvement in the demolition, saying that he was not even aware of the development.
Speaking through his special adviser on media, Salihu Tanko Yakasai, the governor said the issue was under Kano Municipal Local Government jurisdiction.
“First of all, the governor is not even aware of the demolition and it is even not under his jurisdiction to demolish any shop in the market. But if they have any complaint, they can write it to us,” Yakasai added.
Effort to get the reaction of the chairman of the local government, Sabo Muhammad Dantata, was unsuccessful as at press time.
When our reporter visited him in his office after an initial call and text message, he said he was going out and should be called later. Several calls and text messages later sent to him were not responded to.
