Four persons are reported killed in Rimin Auzinawa, Ungogo Local Government Area of Kano State, during a demolition exercise by Kano state government.
Security persons attached to the state government officials allegedly shot the victims after residents retaliated against the destruction of their buildings.
About 40 residential buildings previously marked by the Kano Urban Planning and Development Authority (KNUPDA) were demolished on a land said to be owned by Bayero University, Kano (BUK).
An anonymous resident whose property was also demolished, said the KNUPDA had earlier cleared the properties, confirming they were not on the university’s land.
“We resolved all issues with KNUPDA. They assured us that our properties were not on BUK land. But on Sunday night, officials of KNUPDA, security operatives demolished the buildings.
“When people resisted, security forces opened fire, killing four individuals who have now been buried. It’s a tragic situation,” the source said.
The management of KNUPDA was yet to make any official statement on the development just as also the premises of the agency had been deserted, with a staff member attributing the absence of key officials to fear of reprisals.
“There is tension in the office. That’s why the car parks are empty and no senior officials are present. Only junior staff are here, with no clear directive on what to do,” the official said.
A director of KNUPDA said the demolition was not carried out by KNUPDA, but by a task force from the Ministry of Land and Physical Planning.
An anonymous official from the ministry said the land belongs to BUK and assured that the government would soon issue an official statement.
