Groups Condemed the demolition of Bauchi Federal Law maker by the Bauchi State Government.

John Isaac

Group led by the Secretary of Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi Member Representating Bauchi Federal Constituency Rt. Hon. Ukkasha Hamza Rahama has berated the action of the Government of Bauchi State over it action that led to the demolition of the House belonging to the Member located at Old GRA Bauchi.

The spoke yesterday in Bauchi during a Press Conference and bellow is the full text of the briefing.

RE: PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE SPECIAL ADVISER MEDIA & PUBLICITY TO THE GOVERNOR OF BAUCHI STATE ON 4TH OCTOBER, 2021 ON THE DEMOLITION OF HON. YAKUBU SHEHU ABDULLAHI BUILDING AT NO. 7 BUBA YERO ROAD, OLD GRA, BAUCHI.

Gentlemen of the Press.

We call you here in order to response to the press released made by Bauchi State Government regarding the controversy surrounding property No. 7, Buba Yero Road, old GRA, Bauchi.
It is unfortunate and disheartening that Bauchi State Government instead of burying its head in shame for unlawfully demolishing the building of Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi on the 1st October, 2021 in the night without Court Order, and in the presence of SSA Security, after being fully aware that the matter is pending before a court of law in the High Court of Bauchi State filed by Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi against Bauchi State Government; Attorney General, Bauchi State; Ministry of Land and Survey, Bauchi State and Bauchi State Urban and Development Board.
For record and clarity, Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi owned the property through purchase from the original owner.

A Deed of Assignment was prepared between the original owner and Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi. The Deed of Assignment was duly registered after Bauchi State Government approved the consent to assigned the property to Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi. Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi paid all the necessary fees to the Bauchi State Government for registration of his title in the land registry Bauchi in 2018 after obtaining the consent of Bauchi State Government. Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi acquired title in the property since 2018 before the birth of the current administration of Governor Bala Mohammed.

Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi before commencing building on the land he lawfully acquired, he submitted building proposal to the Bauchi State Urban and Development Board for approval. The building proposal and plan of Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi was approved by the Bauchi State Urban and Development Board some time in 2018 and the amended building proposal was approved on the 22nd October, 2020 and he paid all the necessary fees. After obtaining building approval from the Bauchi State Government to erect structure on his plot of land he lawfully acquired and the structures have gone far.

The saddest thing that will ever happen to a Nigerian citizen was what befall Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi, member representing Bauchi Federal Constituency at the National Assembly because of political party differences.
Bauchi State Government after collecting huge sum of money from Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi for registration of title documents with the land registry and hugely paid for obtaining building approval from Bauchi State Government as well as spending millions of naira in raising the structure, the Bauchi State Government has done what it can be termed as robbery.

To further react to issues raised in the press release on 4th October, 2021 we further state as follows:

1.The building construction on property covered by Certificate of Occupancy No. BA/39705 was not an illegal construction. Bauchi State Government granted approval to Honourable Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi to erect the structures and in line with the Bauchi State Government approval Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi commenced construction on his plot of land at No. 7 Buba Yero Road, old GRA, Bauchi.

2.Before Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi purchased the property in question, he conducted legal search at the land registry Bauchi and there was no encumbrance before he proceeded to buy the property.

3.It was the Bauchi State Government that sold the property to the original allottee, it was the Bauchi State Government that processed and issued Certificate of Occupancy in the name of the original owner, it was Bauchi State Government that gave consent for the Assignment of the property to Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi and it was the Bauchi State Government that gave approval to Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi to build his residential house on the property within 3 years. The question begging for answer is at what point House No. 7 Buba Yero, old GRA, Bauchi is exempted from the policy of owner-occupier basis.

4.Having collected huge money from Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi, Bauchi State Government is now raising issues on the property just because of political differences with Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi.

5.That Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi came into the property lawfully after following due procedure for acquisition of the landed property and at no time his title was challenged by Bauchi State Government before a Court of law. Bauchi State Government gave all approvals to Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi even in October, 2020 to commence construction without raising any complain on the title of Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi.

6.The Bauchi State Government having collected money from Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi and illegally demolished the structure at night is raising false, unfounded and fabricated allegations to cover its illegality in the eyes of the general public because of the uproar of the general public on the illegality committed by the Bauchi State Government in demolishing the house of Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi in the night of 1st October, 2021.

7.That property No. 7 Buba Yero Road, old GRA, Bauchi has never been used as a criminal hideout and nobody has ever brought such allegations to the attention of Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi. The allegations are being raised by the Bauchi State Government for the first time to cover its illegality after demolishing the property of Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi.

8.It is worthy to note that at the time Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi purchased the property, it was an incomplete building because the property was once engulfed in a fire incident.

9.That while the building was going on, the agents of the Bauchi State Government came to the site on the 16th, 17th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd and 27th of September, 2021 and met the workers which include Ibrahim Ago who was the supervisor of the on-going building and supervising the work on the site at No. 7 Buba Yero, old GRA, Bauchi and threatened to arrest all of them if they would not leave the site.

10.Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi upon realizing the constant threat of Bauchi State Government on his workers on site and his property, he filed an action against the Bauchi State Government in the High Court of Bauchi on 28th September, 2021. The case that Bauchi State Government was very much aware before embarking on the illegal demolition of the property of Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi on the 1st October, 2021.

11.That on the 30/9/2021 Bauchi State Government at about 12:00am in an attempt to demolished the property of Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi in the midnight came with Group of Hunters led by Umar A. Shayi and on reaching the property, they met the security guards of the property and opened fire on them by using pump gun action, the empty shell of which were left in the premises and in the processes of the security guards on the property were badly wounded and police came and rescued the security guard and took them to hospital for treatment.

12.The attacked of the  security guards by the agents of Bauchi State Government was reported to the Nigeria Police, Bauchi Area Command, G.R.A. Bauchi of which the complaint of illegal invasion of the property of  Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi and attacked of the security guards of the property is still pending and police authority are currently handling the matter.

13.That it is blatant lies and covered of shame on the part of Bauchi State Government after attacking its citizens and badly wounded them who are lawfully in the discharge of their duties as security guards of the property in issue to turn around and called them thugs hired by Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi.

14.It is unfortunate that the Government that
ought to protect the life and properties of its citizens as guarantee in our law, is the one using its hands to grievously injured the citizens and demolished the property.

15.That at no time, there were presence of people let alone heavily armed in the premises. The blackmailed contained in the Bauchi State Government press release was just to mislead the public with truth of what happened.

16.It is also to be noted that the State Government carried out the illegal demolition without any order from any court of law. The Bauchi State Government resort to self-help which is unfortunate in this 21st century by demolition the property of Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi in the night.

17.The Bauchi State Government came on 1st October, 2021 and demolished the property of Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi in the night and the entered the premises and demolished same because there was nobody on the site. The security guards were already wounded and hospitalized.

18.Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi challenge the Bauchi State Government to produce any Court Order that empower them to demolished his property in the night after injuring his security guards the previous day.

In conclusion, it is no longer news that the action of the Bauchi State Government in demolishing the property of its citizens without Court Order after collecting huge money from Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi for processing the registration of his title in the land registry and approving his building plan clearly show that the Bauchi State Government is not a respecter of the rule of law.
The causing of grievous injury to the security guards of the property without any provocation in a desperate attempt to illegally demolish the property of Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi further confirmed that Bauchi State Government does not value the sanctity of human live created by Almighty Allah.

Thank you and God bless you all.
Signed  
                                                                                                         
Rt. Hon. Ukkasha    Hamza Rahama                                                       
Secretary to Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi
Member representing Bauchi Federal Constituency,