Amid protests, Kano govt demolishes 5000 market stalls

By Abdullahi Yusuf

The Kano State Urban Planning and Development Authority(KNUPDA) has demolished more than 5,000 stalls belonging to traders doing business around the Kano Main Id Ground(Masallachin Idi) located on IBB Way in the state capital.

The authority effected the demolition on Wednesday using its heavy earth-moving equipment amid protests by angry traders affected by the exercise.

The development came after the expiration of the 48-hour deadline given to the petty traders by the authority,saying they were occupying the area illegally.

A visit to the demolished site this afternoon found that virtually all the stalls were removed from the site, revealing the four walls of the ID ground which had earlier been covered by the market stalls.

However,many of the angry traders had remained at the site calling officials of the State Government and those of KNUPDA unprintable names.

Some of them told newsmen that they had occupied the market area for 18 years,and had no place to evacuate to,now that they had been evicted.

According to the petty traders,the area was allocated to them by the Kano Emirate Council through the late Galadiman Kano, Alhaji Tijjani Hashim, while the previous administration in the state officially allocated it to them.

The demolition exercise came just four days to the Id-el-Kabir celebrations when thousands of customers from within and outside the state were making purchases at the market for the upcoming Sallah festival.

Such items sold at the market before the demolition included textile materials, foodstuffs, footwears, plastic materials and cooking utensils.

With the Id Ground market now gone, customers have shifted their patronage to nearby markets such as Kantin Kwari,Kofar Wambai and Rimi in order to make their last-minute Sallah purchases.