By Anwar Usman
Four people have reportedly been killed in Rimin Auzinawa, Ungogo Local Government Area of Kano State, following a violent clash with security operatives over the demolition of properties.
Security operatives reportedly killed the victims after residents protested against the destruction of their buildings.
Reports have it that the demolished buildings—primarily residential buildings under construction estimated at 40—had been previously marked by the Kano Urban Planning and Development Authority (KNUPDA) as illegal.
The land in question reportedly belongs to Bayero University, Kano (BUK).
A resident affected by the demolition, who spoke to journalists and asked to remain anonymous, said that KNUPDA had cleared the properties earlier.
“We resolved all issues with KNUPDA. They affirmed to us that our properties were not within BUK land. But on Sunday night, officials of KNUPDA and security operatives arrived and started demolishing the buildings.
“When people insisted, security operatives opened fire, killing four individuals who have now been buried. It’s a tragic situation,” the source said.
Daily Trust reports that efforts to get an official response from KNUPDA were unsuccessful, as the agency’s managing director was unreachable.
A senior director at KNUPDA, the only high-ranking official available, reiterated that KNUPDA did not carry out the demolition but rather by a task force from the Ministry of Land and Physical Planning.
An official from the ministry, also speaking anonymously, confirmed that the land belongs to BUK and assured that the government would soon issue an official statement.