The Niger State Commissioner of Information, Jonathan Vatsa, on Wednesday shed light on the reason behind the demolition of the old Suleja Military Barrack, saying the current occupants of the facility and land were illegal tenants.
Vatsa said this while addressing newsmen at the venue of the demolition.
He said the state government had “magnanimously” compensated those that may be affected by the exercise shortly after the official handover of the facility through the military authority.
It should recalled that the disputed land was donated to the military authority in the 70s by the state government for temporary use as barracks for soldiers.
Findings by The Eagle Online has it that the military authority formally handed back the facility to the state government through an agreement signed by both parties in 2014.
The commissioner added that prior to the demolition, enough notices were given to those he referred to as “illegal” occupants to quit, adding that some hoodlums destroyed machines meant for the demolition exercise when the state government attempted to clear the site after the transfer formalities.
Vatsa disclosed that the area had since become a den of criminals who have been terrorising Suleja and its environ.
He said: “We have security reports that the place is a hideout for criminal elements.
“People from there go out to terrorise residents of Suleja and retreat back there.
“So we have to protect lives and properties.
“More so, we are putting the land for protective use.
“As far as we are concerned, those you see there are illegal tenants because the issue of who owned the land was settled a long time ago between the state government and the military and that is why the military is involved in this exercise.
“Who are the so-called tenants paying rent to?”
Also, the General Manager of the State Urban Development Board, Malama Habiba Ahmed, who supervised the demolition exercise, explained that the state government had held series of meetings with stakeholders on the desirability of putting the land to productive use.
However, most of those affected by the exercise claimed there was no notice before the exercise, even as some claimed they were born there and have nowhere else to go.
Our correspondent observed that those affected were seen trying to salvage their belongings, while others were already moving their properties in chartered vehicles from the site.
One of the affected persons, Timothy Suleiman, told our correspondent that he was raised in one of the facilities, which is now demolished.
According to Suleiman: “I was born here; my parents have moved to Kaduna State.”
He claimed that two people lost their lives in the exercise.
However, the Director General of the State Urban Development Board described the allegation as false.
Ahmed said: “Let him show us where the corpses were buried.”
Suleiman said the corpses were taken away by relatives.
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