No compensation for demolished mosques, churches – Borno govt

The Borno State Government has declared that 15 worship centers comprised of 11 mosques and four churches demolished in the state over time would not get any compensation because they violated land use acts.

Executive Secretary of Borno Geographic Information Service (BOGIS), Adam Bukar Bababe, an engineer, told newsmen in Maiduguri Saturday.

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He said the decision was based on the resolutions of the Borno State Implementation Committee on Government White Paper on the Boko Haram Insurgency in the state.

He quoted the resolutions as stating, “No residential accommodation should be converted into a place of worship for the public by adherents of whichever faith without due compliance with the provision of any extant law.”

Bababe added, “When we demolished it means they violate the land and use acts, so it means there is no compensation for that demolition. If government demolishes any structure, it is because they have a violation. 

“I can tell you that all these worship centres did not follow normal procedure. So, it doesn’t make sense to any government to demolish and later pay compensation.”