Residents lament how Kano Emirate council continue demarcating Eid praying ground despite court order

Residents of the Darmanawa area in the Tarauni Local Government area of Kano state have expressed disgust over the continuation of demarcation work on the eid praying ground by Ado Bayero Royal City Trust Fund, despite court order stopping it from doing so.

The residents had gone to court following an attempt by the Ado Bayero Royal City Trust Fund, a body under the Kano emirate council, to convert the Darmanawa Eid Praying Ground into residential plots and sell it off.

Recall that the residents, under the auspices of Darmanawa Layout Development Association on February 2, 2021, staged a protest against the illegal takeover of the land by the Kano emirate, through Ado Bayero Royal City Trust Fund.

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Addressing journalists on Saturday, Chairman of the committee, Barrister Tijjani Yahaya said they were surprised that after the court order, they just woke up to see armed Policemen giving cover to some men who were deployed to continue demarcation work on the land, which he said was donated by late Emir Ado Bayero to be used as eid praying ground.

He added that the land was subsequently gazetted by the Kano state government, following the creation of Darmanawa Layout in the early 80s.

According to him, in 2019, there was an attempt by the emirate to snatch the land, but the association swiftly petitioned Kano State Bureau for Land Management against the attempt.

Subsequently, the chairman also disclosed that the association approached the emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero against an attempt to grab the land, revealing that the emir promised to intervene but to no avail.

He stressed that the plot,  which according to him, is the only eid ground in the whole Tarauni Local Government area was gazetted by the state government when the area was created, adding that the land bears plot number TP/UDB/178.

“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 as public on plan number TP/UDB/178 by the then Kano State Urban Development Board as gazetted by the Kano state government,” he said.

Barrister Yahaya further stated that in an attempt to secure the land from illegal grabbing, the association intimated the emirate council for a reminder of its petition, but to its dismay, Police officers were deployed to give cover for a team of labourers brought to cut down the trees on the piece of land on Monday, February 1.

He also narrated that after the coming of the Policemen, they addressed a press conference and subsequently sought audience with the emir again, adding that the emir distanced himself from the attempted take over of the ground promised to intervene.

According to him, the emir mandated Mahe Bashir Wali, a former Assistant Inspector General of Police to investigate the matter but up till now, they have not received a response from him, a situation that prompted them to take legal action.

“But, to our dismay, after the issuance of the interim injunction by a High Court by Justice Sanusi Ado Ma’aji, restraining the Ado Bayero Royal City Trust Fund from making a further attempt to encroach on the said eid praying ground, we woke up today to see armed Policemen again, giving cover for some men drafted to continue demarcation work on the land.

” When we approached the Commander leading the team of the Policemen, he said he was ordered to deploy his men there and was not aware of any court order,” he said.

Barr. Yahaya disclosed that he called the state Commissioner of Police and informed him about the matter and forwarded a copy of the court order to him.

“We hope the CP would obey the court and withdraw the Policemen.  God willing, we shall pray this coming eid prayer on this land. This land belongs to nobody. Nobody could claim ownership of this piece of land. It is for the public.

Solacebase contacted the Secretary of Ado Bayero Royal City Trust Fund and Sarkin Shanun Kano, Alhaji Shehu Muhammad but his phone line was off.