The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has began the demolition of properties in Kano and cause dispute with residents who claim to have legal ownership of the affected homes.
The demolition comes after a longstanding dispute over the sale of the properties, which residents argue was approved by the federal government.
Reacting to the incident a staff of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and Secretary of the Aviation Quarters Committee, described FAAN’s action as a violation of a federal government-approved property sale.
Mustapha said residents had been in discussion with the government since 2011 regarding the purchase of their homes under the Presidential Implementation Committee (PIC) on Sale of Government Properties.
He also claimed that despite the government’s approval and the implementation of the monetization policy in 2003, FAAN had refused to recognize the property sales.
The demolition, he said, was a shock to the residents and has prompting them to seek legal action against FAAN.
Mustapha stated; “We are already in court to obtain a restraining order against FAAN’s trespass into what is now private property. If FAAN has any concerns, it should liaise with its parent ministry and the presidency to verify our documents, which were issued by the PIC under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).”
Meanwhile, Ahmad Danjuma, FAAN’s Acting Regional General Manager for Northwest Kano, in response to the claims defended the authority’s actions.
Danjuma stated that the Aviation Quarters were originally designated as institutional duty houses for airport staff and should not have been sold without FAAN’s consent.
FAAN was not consulted before the PIC initiated the sales, and the authority only learnt about the transactions through rumors, he added.
“These quarters were built over 35 years ago specifically for aviation workers, ensuring safety, security, and operational efficiency at the airport. Suddenly, some individuals approached PIC to buy them under the monetization policy, but FAAN was never consulted,” he stated.
Danjuma also alleged that some FAAN staff who purportedly bought the houses illegally resold them to third parties, leading to unauthorized extensions and modifications.
He added that FAAN had been instructed by its headquarters to reclaim the properties and halt any further sales.
“We gave notices to affected individuals to vacate. Weeks passed, yet nothing changed. As a result, FAAN had no choice but to proceed with the demolition,” he said.