Kebbi govt and Malami trade blame over demolished property in Birnin Kebbi
- A building along Sani Abacha Bypass in Birnin Kebbi was demolished, and both sides now blame each other.
- The Kebbi government says it was a private land dispute and denies ordering the demolition.
- Abubakar Malami has petitioned the police and asked his lawyers to seek compensation.
A property along Sani Abacha Bypass in Birnin Kebbi has been demolished, and the Kebbi State Government and Abubakar Malami are now trading accusations over who is responsible.
Malami, a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, is the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in the state. The building reportedly housed the Malami Pressure Group, a political support organisation.
Residents woke up to find earth-moving equipment pulling the building down, and videos of the exercise spread on social media, according to the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Yakubu Ahmed-BK.
What each side says
Ahmed-BK told journalists on Monday that the administration of Governor Nasir Idris neither authorised nor took part in the demolition. He said the matter was a private land ownership dispute between individuals.
According to the commissioner, a businessman, Umaru Gulumbe, came forward with a Certificate of Occupancy signed by former Governor Adamu Aliero, along with records of complaints he had lodged with the police and the Ministry of Lands and Housing. Ahmed-BK said committees had looked at the competing ownership claims, and he challenged anyone with a contrary claim to go to court.
He also accused the ADC of politicising the incident and of presenting a private dispute as political persecution without evidence linking the government to the demolition. The governor's media aide, Yahaya Sarki, said the claims were being spread to create a misunderstanding between Governor Idris and Malami.
Malami's side tells it differently. In a statement, the ADC Director of Strategic Media, Research and Policy Analysis, Abubakar Abdullahi, said Malami was shocked by what he called an act of lawlessness. The party alleged that political opponents carried out the demolition to provoke Malami and his supporters into actions that could threaten peace in the state.
Abdullahi said Malami had petitioned the Kebbi State Commissioner of Police and directed his lawyers to establish ownership of the property, seek legal redress and demand compensation. The party urged members and supporters to stay calm and not take the law into their hands.
What happens next
The police petition and the planned legal action mean the ownership question is likely to end up before the courts. The ADC has tied the incident to the run-up to the 2027 general elections, while the government insists the matter is private and has asked the party to retract what it calls false claims or face possible legal action.
