Published 25th Jun, 2022

By Basit Jamiu

John Ndakwo, a retired police officer, has narrated how his house was demolished in Angwan Ayegba community, Idah Local Government Area of Kogi State.

Ndakwo told Sahara Reporters that he bought the land in 2012, after 35 years in public service.

“There was no notice. There was no letter. There was no marking. Only that I just sat down at the front of my house and saw the caterpillar, and they said I should leave, that they wanted to break the house,” he was quoted to have said.

On Sunday, officers threatened to proceed with the destruction of the house while people were still inside it, but they were resisted. The workers left, only to come back when they noticed that Ndakwo had gone to the church.

“I just came back from church, not up to 30 minutes, I saw bulldozer and they said that the house had to be removed. Before I could say anything, they started pulling down part of my house,” he said.

Victims of the demolition said it was orchestrated by Abuh Odoma, Idah Local Government Chairman, who claimed they were encroaching on the land reserved as fence for Aerodome.

Ndakwo said the reason the workers gave was that it was an order from above and that the land had been chosen by the local government to be used as fence for the Aerodome.

“They didn’t even want to listen to me. Even the policeman who came with them, they all said the order was from above. They said it was from the government, but even if it was from the government, the government had to say something,” he said.

The retired police said he continues to live inside the partly demolished house as he has nowhere else to go.

“As it is now, I’m just staying in one side of the house that is remaining, pending when I will get where to stay,” he said.

FIJ made several calls to Abu Odoma, Idah Local Government chairman, but his phone was switched off. A message sent to him had also not been responded to as at press time.

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