Residents decry illegal attempt to snatch Eid praying ground by Kano Emirate

Residents of Darmanawa quarters in Tarauni Local Government Area of Kano state, under the auspices of Darmanawa Layout Development Association, have protested what they described as “illegal takeover” of Y’ar Akwa Eid Praying Ground by Ado Bayero Royal City Trust Fund.

Addressing newsmen at the premises of the land on Tuesday, Chairman of the Eid ground committee, Barrister Tijjani Yahaya said the land was donated by late Emir Ado Bayero to be used as Eid praying ground, which was subsequently gazetted by the Kano state government following the creation of Darmanawa Layout in the early 80s.

Solacebase reports that Yahaya said the association, in 2019, petitioned Bureau for Land Management when there was an attempt to encroach the land, located at Darmanawa layout, which according to him, is the only Eid ground in the whole Tarauni Local Government area.

Subsequently, the chairman also disclosed that the association had approached the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero against an attempt to grab the land by Ado Bayero Royal City Trust Fund, an organisation of the Kano emirate council for conversation into residential plots and sell it off.

He further revealed that the emir had asked the contending parties to maintain peace and ordered for an investigation into the matter.

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“Meanwhile, the association also wrote a petition to the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Agency in October 2020. While we were awaiting the outcome of these petitions, the representatives of the Ado Bayero Royal City Trust Fund tried to forcefully take over the Eid ground which we successfully scuttled the attempt on December 30, 2020.

” We, therefore, challenge and call upon the Ado Bayero Royal City Trust Fund to provide any evidence of ownership of the said Eid ground, which has been designated for public use on plan number TP/UDB/18 by the then Kano State Urban Development Board as gazetted by the Kano state government,” he said.

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Mr Yahaya further stated that in attempt to secure the land from illegal grabbing and, the association intimated the emirate council for a reminder of its petition, but to its dismay, Police personnel were deployed to give cover for a team of labourers brought to cut down the trees in the piece of land on Monday.

“The large consignment of armed Police personnel under the command of a superintendent of Police besieged our layout and the whole community in the latter part of yesterday, 1st February 2021 and gave cover to a team of people with cutlasses who proceeded to cut down all the trees that have been grown on the Eid ground for over 15 years and provide shade to the teeming members of the congregation during the Eid prayer sessions.

” When we approached the SP, he informed us that the order for the exercise came from the Commissioner of Police, Kano State. We intend to seek an audience with the CP to brief him on our position on the matter,” he said.

Mr Yahaya also stated that the association would do everything within the ambit of the law to protect and prevent illegal encroachment and conversion of the Eid ground into commercial residential plots.

“On behalf of the teeming members of the larger community within and around this sacred ground for this and other generations yet to be born to continue to benefit from the intended purpose for which this Eid praying ground was donated by the late Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero,” he stated.