The member of the House of Representatives member representing Bauchi Federal Constituency, Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi has alleged that the State Government has demolished his building situated at the GRA in Bauchi metropolis as well as revoked the allocation of his rice mill in what he described as political vendetta.
While narrating what happened to a group of Journalists in Bauchi on Saturday, Yakubu Abdullahi alleged that, “The Governor went and demolished my house. We have been dragging about this for about two weeks. Finally, the day before yesterday (Thursday), he sent them in the night and they came with guns and they shot four of my security men there. We reported the matter to the Police and they were taken to the hospital where the bullets were removed”.
He added that, “A day after that (Friday) the same group went to the house around 6pm. They came with a bulldozer from BASEPA, he (the Governor ) went there himself and ordered them to demolish the house” .
When our correspondent asked if he had evidence to back his claim that the governor was personally there where he allegedly ordered for the demolition of the house he said: “He went their personally. Of course, he went there, it is not something hidden. I was not there but people saw him when he went there. Many government officials including the SSG and his Commissioners, they were all there” .
According to him, “Initially, the SSG, Commissioners of Works and Housing and the GM, State Development Board, were the first to go there where they showed those who did the demolition the building” .
When Asked who were the people he claimed came with the guns and shot his security men guarding the house, he said: “They are not Police but a group of hunters called Garu Hunters Association, created by the governor and working under his government. The government officials came and wrote on the fence of the house “revoked by the State Development Board”, and they came and said they want to demolish it”.
The embattled politician opined that “There is a process for demolition. If government wants to revoke your title, they have to issue revocation notice to you and when it expires, then it can be revoked. It is either it is revoked for overriding public interest and it has to be specified exactly what it is”.
Quoting relevant laws to buttress his argument, he said that, “Section 29 of the Land Use Act gives the Governor the power to revoke a title but if that will be done, they have to compensate you based on the value. If you refuse to accept the value they are putting on your property, then, you go and bring your own professional to do the valuation for you, then you go into negotiation”.
“Infact, even before they go for the valuation, they have to send you an invitation letter after the notice and it is either for you to be there or you send your representative to stand for you. Unfortunately, all these steps were not taken before the demolition”, he added saying that there are just finishing touches to be done in the house. It is about 70 to 75 percent completed.
The politician popularly called ‘Yakubu Wowwo’ added that, “When they came about two weeks ago, I told them that I have already filed a case against the government, Ministry of Lands, Bauchi State government, Commissioner for Works and they all know that the matter is in court, but yet, they went ahead and demolished it’.
On why the demolition was done, he said: “it is pure politics because my piece of land attached to my factory, a rice mill, he also revoked it about one month ago. He revoked it for the same purpose, overriding public interest. I know he will go ahead and revoke my other lands because I have many of them. I didn’t acquire that land through allocation, I purchased it from somebody who was genuinely allocated the land by owner-occupier. I bought the land between four and five years now”.
He further claimed that, “I didn’t even buy the land directly from the man who got the allocation, I am the third person that bought the land. I did all the necessary documentations and I followed due process. I paid building approval issued by the government, I paid ground rates to 2024, even the Certificate of Occupancy was not even issued in my name. I then did a deed of assignment registered by the Governor.
“Before I even bought the house, I conducted a legal search to see if there is any encumbrance but there was none. All the legal processes to acquire the land, I did all of them”, the politician said.
Yakubu Abdullahi whose political life has remained controversial ever since he joined said that, “This is victimization being done to me personally, because of politics. It is not only me, but also to APC chieftains, their lands were also revoked. He revoked that of the former governor, Isa Yuguda, he revoked Yakubu Dogara’s land, he revoked my own land and now, he has demolished my house”.
Efforts to get reactions from the State government proved abortive as all top government officials contacted declined comment but another top functionary who spoke under anonymous condition told our correspondent that the governor has directed that no official should respond to the allegation.
Another top functionary of government confided in our correspondent that by Monday, government will officially react to the allegation saying all relevant MDAs have been directed to prepare their submissions for presentation to the public.
When contacted over the development, Bauchi State Police Command denied knowledge of the situation as claimed by the politician who said that he promptly reported the matter to the Police.
State Police Commissioner, Sylvester Abiodun Alabi who spoke to our correspondent vide phone conversation said that, “as far as the Command is concerned, there is no official report of the situation by anyone. We are only reading it in the media based on which we have taken proactive measures to avert any breakdown of law and order”.
When told that the politician claimed that he reported to the Police, the Commissioner responded that, “which Police station did he report to, who took his complaint? As far as I know, nothing of such is before the Command as of now that we are talking. The thing happened Friday evening, who did he report. Ours is to maintain law and order, we are ready to do that”, he stated.
