January 05, (THEWILL) – The Board of Trustees of Masallacin Eidi Shop Owners and Traders Association, Kano, has dissociated itself from the complaint of Traders and owners of demolished shops, asking the Kano State Police Command to investigate the demolition exercise.
In their complaint, a copy of which was read to newsmen in Kano on Thursday, the shop owners asked the Police Command to launch a criminal investigation into the exercise, which they said was carried out by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso, leader of the Kwankwasiyya political movement.
The traders said the exercise led to the destruction of their properties amounting to N260 billion and death of about 30 persons.
They also demanded that the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Abdullahi Baffa Bichi, and Engr. Muhammad Diggol, among others, also be investigated over the role they allegedly played in the exercise.
But the Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the Shop Owners Association, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdulkadir, while addressing newsmen in Kano on Friday, said the Board was not aware of the complaint as it was not consulted on the matter.
“The Board of Trustees of Masallacin Eidi Shop Owners and Traders Association wishes to most categorically dissociate itself from the malicious statement made by an illegitimate faction of traders presenting a new and unmerited complaint to the Commissioner of Police against the incumbent Kano State Government demanding for compensation.
“We wish to most openly condemn those behind it and advisedly call for the rejection of their complaint,” Abdulkadir said.
He assured the Kano State Government “and every other person, group of persons, or organisation concerned, as well as the general public that we strongly remain indebted to the verdict agreed upon at the Federal Industrial Court, Abuja, made public in December 2023.”
The secretary said the Board was very happy that the Kano State Government had already commenced fulfilment of its obligation.
“We are, therefore, advising the faction to withdraw their malicious complaint and come to us for redress”, he added.
About the Author
Abdullahi Yusuf is a seasoned journalist, communicator and was previously the Deputy Editor-In-Chief and Zonal Manager, News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Jos, where he retired on December 15, 2021
