Angry Mob Attacks Residence Of Deputy Governor Over Demolition Of Shops

Irate youths teamed up with traders whose shops were affected in the ongoing demolition of illegal structures on Minna roads by Niger State Urban Development, NSUDB, on Tuesday to attack a house belonging to Alhaji Ahmed Ketso, the state’s Deputy Governor.

One of the shop owners, Mallam Muritala Ahmed, claimed they were angry because the state government did not notify them before embarking on the demolition. 

 Ahmed said that NSUDB officials simply asked him to move out of his shop and that they started demolishing it without even allowing him to remove his cash, goods and other valuables. 

“I was just sitting in my shop and they said come out; their bulldozer was already stationed in front of my shop and immediately they removed me forcefully, their bulldozer brought down my entire shop without allowing me to pick my cash, goods and other valuables. 

 “I feel like dying as the board has taken me back to zero level, I am left with nothing right now,” he lamented.

 Mr Moses Dunia, another trader who was affected by the demolition exercise, alleged that the state government protected the house of the state deputy governor, who built on the same lane, thereby making life hard for the common people. 

 When NAN contacted Hajiya Maimuna Kolo, the Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor, she said that the youths were angry because the NSUDB demolished the illegal structures in the area. 

 “They (youths) decided to vent their anger on the private residence of the deputy governor. “The deputy governor was just a victim of circumstance in this case,” Kolo said.

 However, the Acting General Manager, Niger State Urban Development Board (NSUDB), Mr Muhammed Bawa, told newsmen in Minna that the exercise, which started from the state capital, would extend to other urban cities in the state.