Police families protest against demolition of Sokoto neighborhoods

Daud Olatunji

Families of serving and deceased police officers residing in Kontagora Road neighborhoods in Gawon Nama, Sokoto State, on Sunday protested against the demolition of their homes, alleging that the exercise was carried out without due notice.

Protesters, mostly wives and children of police officers, said a bulldozer accompanied by personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps arrived at the scene in the early hours of Sunday and began tearing down structures, including the perimeter fence.

They later took to the streets with placards, calling on the Inspector General of Police, Rilwan Tunde Disu, and other relevant authorities to intervene.

One of the protesters, Safiya Halliru, widow of the late deputy police commissioner, Halliru Gwarzo, said residents were shocked when they heard unusual noises in the neighbourhoods.

“Coming out of our homes, we saw a bulldozer, accompanied by Civil Protection personnel, demolishing our perimeter fence,” he said.

According to her, most of the police officers were not at home at the time of the demolition as some were on duty while others had gone to the mosque for dawn prayers.

Halliru said some families had occupied the neighborhoods for more than 20 years, insisting that residents should have been formally notified before any demolition or redevelopment.

He appealed to the police authorities to intervene, especially since some of the affected families belonged to officers who died on active duty.

“Even if the homes were to be sold, we deserve to be contacted before taking any action,” he said.

Another resident, Hadiza Abdulrazak-Gulma, said the property dispute had been in court for about two years.

He said residents had received a court notice indicating that proceedings on the matter were due to begin on Tuesday 8 September.

“We have received a notice from the court that the court will begin hearing on Tuesday. Unfortunately, we became aware of this unfortunate incident even before the court proceedings began,” he said.

Abdulrazak-Gulma urged the Inspector General of Police to intervene, saying the families of police officers who have sacrificed their lives and careers in service to the country should not be subjected to such treatment.

Checks at the scene revealed that many of the affected houses were occupied by serving senior police officers, including a police commissioner.

Residents also questioned why Sokoto police officers were not granted occupancy certificates for the quarters when, according to them, similar arrangements had been made for their colleagues in some other states.

When contacted, Sokoto State Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Nasiru Dantsoho, said he was unaware of the demolition and declined further comment.

The circumstances of the demolition remained unclear as of Sunday evening, while affected families continued to call for intervention ahead of the expected court proceedings.

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