Residents of Darmanawa community of Tarauni Local Government in Kano State have protested what they described as ‘illegal takeover’ of ‘Yar Akwa Eid Praying Ground by Ado Bayero Royal City Trust Fund.
The residents under the auspices of Darmanawa Layout Development Association said the eid ground is the only one in the whole of Tarauni LGA.
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Addressing journalists on Tuesday at the premises of the land, the Chairman of the Eid Ground Committee, Barrister Tijjani Yahaya said the land was donated by late Emir Ado Bayero to be used as eid praying ground and was subsequently gazetted by Kano State Government following the creation of Darmanawa Layout in the early 80s.
Yahaya said the association had in 2019 petitioned the Bureau for Land Management when there was an attempt to encroach on the land.
The chairman also disclosed that the association had in 2020 scuttled another attempt by the Ado Bayero Royal City Trust Fund to take over the land, adding that they had approached the Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero to wade into the matter.
Emir calls for peace between contending parties
But according to him, the emir had asked the contending parties to maintain peace and ordered for investigation into the matter.
“Meanwhile, the association also wrote a petition to the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Agency in October 2020. While we were awaiting the outcome of these petitions, the representatives of the Ado Bayero Royal City Trust Fund tried to forcefully take over the eid ground which we successfully scuttled the attempt on December 30, 2020.
“We therefore challenge and call upon the Ado Bayero Royal City Trust Fund to provide any evidence of ownership of the said eid ground, which has been designated as ‘public’ on plan number TP/UDB/18 by the then Kano state Urban Development Board as gazetted by the Kano state government,” he said.
Yahaya further stated that in an attempt to secure the land from illegal grabbing, the association reminded the emirate council of its earlier petition.
He, however, disclosed that police officers were deployed to give cover for a team of labourers brought to cut down the trees on the piece of land on Monday.
“When we approached the senior police officer, he informed us that the order for the exercise came from the Commissioner of Police. We intend to seek an audience with the CP to brief him on our position on the matter,” he said.
He also said that the association would do everything within the law to prevent illegal encroachment and conversion of the eid ground into commercial residential plots.
Meanwhile, the Kano Emirate Council could not be reached for comment as of the time of filing this report.
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