By Idris Khalid
Member representing Bauchi federal constituency in the National Assembly, Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi has described the action of the state government for demolishing his house as against the rule of law and dereliction of its responsibility of protecting the lives and property of its citizens.
Hon. Yakubu Abdullahi wondered how agents of the government caused grievous injury to the security guards of the property in question without any provocation in a desperate attempt to illegally demolish his landed property, saying the action further confirmed that Bauchi state government does not value the sanctity of human live created by Almighty Allah.
It could be recalled that the Bauchi state government through its agents on the night of October 1, 2021 unlawfully demolished Hon. Yakubu Abdullahi House at No.7 Buba Yero road without Court Order, and in the presence of SSA Security to the governor, Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed.
“It is unfortunate and disheartening that the 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”.
Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi at a press briefing Tuesday through his secretary, Rt. Hon. Ukkasha Hamza Rahama who said that the action of the state government was coming after his boss Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi filed a Court case against Bauchi State Government, Attorney General of Bauchi State, State Ministry of Land and Survey, and State Urban Development Board.
Rahama explained that his client owned the property through purchase from the original owner, as a deed of assignment was prepared between the original owner and Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi, and duly registered after Bauchi state government approved the consent to assigned the property to Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi.
“The building construction on property covered by Certificate of Occupancy No. BA/39705 was not an illegal construction. The Bauchi State Government granted approval to Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi to erect the structures and in line with the Bauchi State Government approval that Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi commenced construction on his plot of land at No. 7 Buba Yero Road, old GRA, Bauchi”.
According to him, Hon. Abdullahi had before commencing building on the land, had his building proposal approved by the State Urban Development Board, as the building plan was also approved by the same board sometime in 2018 and the amended building proposal was approved on the 22nd October, 2020 and all the necessary fees paid.
“It was the Bauchi State Government that processed and issued Certificate of Occupancy in the name of the original owner, it gave consent for the assignment of the property to Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi and it was the same government that gave approval to Hon. Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi to build his residential house on the property within 3 years”.
Rt. Hon. Ukkasha Hamza Rahama also debunked the claim that the building in question located at House No. 7 Buba Yero, old GRA, Bauchi is exempted from the policy of owner-occupier basis, and attributed the state government’s action to political differences.
Rahama concluded, “Bauchi State Government after collecting a 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 can be termed as robbery”.
