Kwara Residents Protest At Govt House, Accuse Private Firm Of Dem0lishing Buildings Over Alleged N800m Govt Debt
Kwara Residents Protest At Govt House, Accuse Private Firm Of Demolishing Buildings Over Alleged N800m Govt Debt
In a video obtained by SaharaReporters, bulldozers were seen demolishing buildings on the disputed land as the dispute between the residents and the company intensified.
Residents and landowners in Kwara State have protested at the Kwara State Government House and the state’s Bureau of Lands over the alleged takeover of their properties by SAMMIYA Nigeria Limited, a company they accused of claiming ownership of a large expanse of land and demolishing buildings belonging to residents.
The protesters, who stormed the Government House on Friday, questioned why the state government would allocate their land to a private company without adequately addressing their ownership claims and concerns over the demolition of their buildings and other properties.
The affected landowners explained that the company claimed the previous administration allocated the land to it because the government owed it about ₦800 million for work allegedly carried out in the past.
According to the residents, the company is relying on the debt to justify its claim to the land, a development they said has left several property owners worried about losing their homes and investments.
In a video obtained by SaharaReporters, bulldozers were seen demolishing buildings on the disputed land as the dispute between the residents and the company intensified.
Speaking to SaharaReporters, some of the affected landowners said they were surprised when SAMMIYA Nigeria Limited began asserting ownership over the disputed area, despite their longstanding claims to the properties.
The residents explained that SAMMIYA had previously acquired land in the area and had been developing its own estate.
However, they explained that the company had now extended its ownership claims to a much wider area, including properties they said belonged to other individuals.
“We all know that SAMMIYA had some land around there, and the company has been developing its own personal estate. Now, the same SAMMIYA is claiming that it owns all the land, including Phase One, Phase Two and Phase Three,” one of the affected landowners told SaharaReporters.
The residents further stated that the company told them the previous administration had allocated the land to it because the government owed it approximately ₦800 million for work it had done for the state.
“He said the past government allocated that land to him because he had worked for them in the past, and they owed him ₦800 million. That is why they allocated those lands to him,” the landowner said.
The affected residents said the explanation had not allayed their concerns, because they acquired and developed their properties before the company began clearing the disputed area.
According to the landowners, the situation escalated during the past week when the company began clearing the land and demolishing buildings and other structures, prompting them to seek the intervention of the state government.
“This same SAMMIYA started clearing our buildings and land this past week. That was what led us to protest at the Bureau of Lands and also at the State Government House on Friday,” the affected landowner said.
The protesters said they visited the Bureau of Lands and subsequently took their grievances to the Government House to demand an explanation over the alleged allocation of their properties to the company.
They questioned how land they claimed to own could be allocated to another party and subsequently subjected to demolition without their concerns being resolved.
The residents also expressed concern that the land allocation and ongoing demolition could leave property owners facing significant financial losses, particularly those who had invested their savings in acquiring and developing the affected properties.
They said their decision to protest was driven by the need for the state government to intervene, investigate the circumstances surrounding the disputed allocation and prevent further demolition while the ownership claims are being examined.
The affected landowners said government officials calmed them during Friday’s protest and assured them that the matter would be looked into.
“They calmed us down and told us they would look into the matter and get back to us,” one of the landowners told SaharaReporters.
However, the residents said they were awaiting further action from the state government over their complaints and the disputed land.
They called for clarification on the circumstances under which the land was allegedly allocated to SAMMIYA Nigeria Limited, the basis for the company’s claim that the government owed it ₦800 million, and the status of the properties belonging to the protesting residents.
