The Kebbi State Government and former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, have exchanged accusations over the demolition of a property along Sani Abacha Bypass in Birnin Kebbi.
While the government described the incident as the outcome of a private land ownership dispute, Malami accused political opponents of demolishing the property to provoke him and his supporters.
The Commissioner for Information and Culture, Yakubu Ahmed-BK, said Governor Nasir Idris’ administration neither authorised nor participated in the demolition.
He accused the African Democratic Congress, ADC, of politicising the incident and portraying the government as hostile to opposition parties without providing evidence linking it to the demolition.
Ahmed-BK said preliminary investigations and documents presented by a businessman, Umaru Gulumbe, indicated that the dispute centred on ownership of the property.
According to him, Gulumbe presented a Certificate of Occupancy bearing the signature of former Governor Adamu Aliero, alongside records of complaints lodged with the police and the Ministry of Lands and Housing.
The commissioner said relevant committees had examined the competing ownership claims and challenged anyone disputing Gulumbe’s ownership to approach a competent court.
However, Malami has petitioned the Kebbi State Commissioner of Police over the demolition of the property, which reportedly housed the Malami Pressure Group, a political support organisation.
In a statement, the ADC Director of Strategic Media, Research and Policy Analysis, Abubakar Abdullahi, said Malami was shocked by what he described as an act of lawlessness.
He alleged that political opponents carried out the demolition to provoke Malami and his supporters into actions capable of threatening peace in the state.
Abdullahi said Malami had directed his lawyers to seek legal redress, establish ownership of the property and demand compensation for the destruction.