The Managing Director of the Kano State Urban Development Agency, KANUPDA, Ibrahim Yakubu has urged parents and guardians to caution their children against scavenging at various sites in the ongoing demolition exercise across the state, which has claimed two lives.
He stated this while speaking to newsmen in Kano State North-Western Nigeria.
He confirmed that one of the scavengers died at the Daula Hotel demolition site and another at the Eid prayer site, all in the municipal areas of the ancient city.
“Unfortunately, we lost two young boys who were scavenging for some of the building materials used for construction, while others that were injured are n the hospital receiving treatment.
“We have always planned against this type of a thing, that is why we carry out the exercise in the middle of the night. We always inform security agencies to provide cover, which they do but the scavengers won’t stop coming, especially when the day breaks.
“We urge parents to talk to their children to stop coming to the demolition sites to scavenge,” he said.
He, however, said the development would not stop the agency from going ahead with the demolition exercise, stressing that there are still a lot more structures to be demolished, which he said are in violation of the master plan of the state.
“The demolition will continue, whatever we are doing is in the public interest of the people of Kano state, as most of the structures are in violation of the master plan of the state,” he said.
According to him, efforts will now be concentrated on the demolition of structures built on fringes of the over 500-year-old Eid Prayer ground to enable worshippers fully utilise the place in the upcoming Sallah celebrations.
“We are going to start moving all our equipment here so that the place can be cleared before the Sallah celebration that is coming up in two weeks’ time,” he added.
The demolition exercise has seen multi-million naira structures built on the famous Daula hotel, Race Course, Eid Prayer ground, Government House roundabout, and Schools among others pulled down since the inception of the Yusuf Abba Kabir-led administration in the state.
The Government said the land allocated for the demolished properties was illegally given by the immediate past Governor Abdullahi Ganduje-led Administration.
Dominica Nwabufo
