Residents of Matagyi Community in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna woke up to the sound of bulldozers in their community pulling down houses that were perceived to be built without permit from the Kaduna Urban Planning and Development Agency (KASUPDA).
The bulldozers were accompanied by men of the Kaduna Vigilance Service (KADVS) who were there to offer security backup to the KASUPDA officials as well as to prevent any breakdown of law and order.
The community, located behind Kaduna Polytechnic Quarters, is inhabited by different tribes, including Gbagi, Hausa and other smaller tribes found within the state. Most of the residents are peasant farmers and other individuals who mostly depend on menial jobs to survive.
They claimed to have lived for decades in the community without being intimidated or harassed until the administration of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai.
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The El-Rufai administration became so popular for its demolition of houses and structures perceived to be illegal by the government through the KASUPDA.
In 2022, the residents of Matagyi took the former administration to court over an attempt to confiscate their lands and received a judgment in their favour from the Appeal Court in April 2022.
The court restrained the Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna State Government, and others from invading the land within the community. However, the residents claim that the state government, through KASUPDA, still invades their land despite the court order.
They have made a passionate appeal to the new state governor, Senator Uba Sani, to prevail upon state agencies like KASUPDA and the state security outfit, KADVIS, to stop the invasion of their community land, measuring up to 57.5 hectares.
Several uncompleted houses that were demolished within the community had provided shelter for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) displaced by insecurity from neighbouring Chikun villages according to the residents.
Speaking on behalf of the community, their leader, Bala Abdullahi, explained that they received a judgment from the Appeal Court in their favour in April 2023, but were not issued Certificates of Occupancy (CofOs) as ordered.
He said instead, KASUPDA asked them to get building permits, and when they started building, the agency came and marked their houses on a Saturday, leading to the demolition of some buildings.
The community also raised an alarm that some individuals were coming to the community claiming that land had been allocated to them.
Abdullahi said the land belonged to them and appealed to Governor Uba Sani to intervene and ensure the court order is obeyed.
“We are law-abiding citizens and this land belongs to us therefore all we are saying is for Governor Uba Sani to ask KASUPDA to obey court order,” he said.
An elder in the community, Samaila Dogo, urged the new governor to consider their plight and respect the favourable judgment they received in court.
He mentioned an incident where an army officer had claimed a plot in the community but left when he was informed about the court judgment.
“Since he left he has not returned but we are worried over the issue,” he said.
Comfort Luka, whose land was allegedly allocated to someone else, expressed shock and appealed to Governor Uba Sani to listen to their voices.
She said the community has been facing issues on the land for over nine years until the court judgment in 2022.
Comrade Dominic Simon, who said he has been living in the area for over 45 years, expressed hope that Governor Uba Sani would call all agencies to order, given his integrity.
According to him, all they want is to be left in peace as citizens of the state.
Reverend Emmanuel Olorunmagba criticised the previous government for not obeying the judgment of the appeal court and resorting to self-help to oppress and terrorise the community.
He appealed to Governor Uba Sani to uphold the judgment of the appeal court and ensure their rights are protected.
He said so far, about 11 houses were pulled down during the recent invasion, rendering over 30 people homeless, including those who sought shelter in Matagyi community after being chased out from their villages by bandits.
The community claimed that they were not part of the Gbagi villa community that the government had issues with during El-Rufai’s tenure.
Residents have no building permit, KASUPDA
The Public Relations Officer of KASUPDA, Nuhu Garba, said anyone intending to develop land within the urban city or any part of the state must obtain planning permission from the agency.
He revealed that the agency discovered that the community had started developing without obtaining approval from KASUPDA, and, therefore, decided that this unauthorized development must be halted.
“None of the people has planning permission, and we asked them to come and obtain planning permission if they win the case. However, none of them came forward; instead, they continued developing without permission from the agency.”
Nuhu Garba emphasised that if the individuals can provide a genuine court judgment as proof and meet all the requirements set by KASUPDA, they would be granted building permission.
Regarding the alleged allocation of their land, Nuhu said there was a layout in the area.
He hoped that the people did not encroach upon the layout without receiving the necessary titles or allocations. If they have indeed encroached, appropriate actions will be taken to halt their activities.
Nuhu advised the aggrieved residents to approach the agency to obtain their planning permission.
He stated that if they meet the requirements, their approval will be granted. However, if they are found to be developing without permission, officials will visit the sites and stop the work.
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