Hundreds of protesters today in Kaduna staged a peaceful demonstration demanding justice from the Kaduna State Governor, Nasiru El-Rufai for “confiscation” of their lands and handing same over to private developers.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had last month performed the foundation laying ceremony of 2,000 affordable housing units and ground breaking ceremony of Galaxy Mall and Galleria in Kaduna.

The protesters held placards with inscription such as: “El-Rufa’i is a cheat”, “Enough is enough, Osinbajo!! El-Rufa’i will tarnish your image”, “We Demand Justice”, “Osinbanjo signed our death warrant by laying the 2,000 Housing Unit in Kaduna unwittingly; the land belongs to the masses”, “Leave our lands for us, El-Rufai is a Dictator”, “All we are saying give us our land”, etc. The protesters accused the administration of El-Rufa’i of taking over their lands without due compensation as well as against humanitarian feelings and sympathy.

Addressing journalists, spokesman of the Dantoro II Land Owners, Mr Lucky Akpojosevbe, said they are at the NUJ Secretariat to let the public know about the injustice done to them by the El-Rufa’i administration, which confisticated their lands, which they have held in trust for many decades, without compensating them.

He said as land owners of Danhoho II, they will not rest on their oars until and unless justice is done to them, as their lands were forcefully taken over and given to the private developers under what the government called public private partnership (PPP) without due process.

Akpojosevbe said the action of El-Rufa’i is unjust, dictatorial, fraudulent, anti-people as well as totally against the change mantra of the Buhari-led APC government. “We all voted for APC change with the high hopes of getting a change for the better, but it is unfortunate that the likes of Governor El-Rufa’i are spoiling the name of the APC change,” he said.

The protesters charged all those affected by the confiscation of their lands in Danhono II, and other areas of the state to come out and voice their grievances as well as demand justice at all times.

Another land owner, Mansur Sulaiman, who was emotional while speaking with newsmen, said they will do everything possible to reclaim their lands.

“Since the era of government impunity is over, according to President Buhari, we will fight against government insensitivity, recklessness and impunity and reclaim our lands since we have the right under sun to fight, secure and keep our lawful property,” he said. Sulaiman frowned at El-Rufai’s action for what he described as “heartless and unsympathetic nature on the citizens that put him in power.”

In a swift reaction at a press briefing at NUJ Secretariat, Ibrahim Hussaini, Director General, Kaduna Geographical Information System (KADGIS), assured that the aggrieved land owners will be compensated as soon as assessment is completed.

He added that the allegation that government has take over the lands without due process is not true.

“Government is taking over the land, pay compensation to those with genuine government titles. Government does not sell land, government allocate lands. That is why we pay compensation to lands. As far as the land use act is concern, the community leader has no right to sell or allocate lands,” Hussaini said.

•Photo shows Governor El-Rufa’i.

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