Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, on Thursday, said government will not allow illegal encroachment on Kaduna Polytechnic land to stand just as he said the people of Gbagyi Villa occupying houses of which about 70 per cent of the land belonged to the institution must produce Certificate of Occupancy and building approval or risk demolition.

About 1,300 houses and structures illegally built on the Polytechnic’s land by Gbagyi Villa residents.

El-Rufai, while on a working visit to the land, told journalists that though he is aware that the case is in court, the action will be taken against criminal trespassers.

He said Kaduna Polytechnic was allocated the land 40 years ago for one of the polytechnic campuses but that “unfortunately nearly 70 per cent of its land has been encroached upon by illegal squatters.”

According to the governor, the present administration cannot condone illegality in the state, warning that in Kaduna nobody can hide behind religion or his or her ethnic group to break the law and get away with it.

He noted that government will go through a process and give everyone the opportunity to show that she or he has a title to the land and approval to build. “If you don’t have this two, the law will apply and we will take the building down.”

He said government will investigate those involved within its system and will be punished accordingly adding that “the law must prevail.”

The Governor said the land case in court has little to do with breaking of the law. “When you break the law you can’t go to court and stop action,” the Governor said.

El-Rufai, however, advised Kaduna citizens to ensure they have Certificate of Occupancy for the land and government approval to build anywhere in the state, contrary to which he said: “Your building is at risk.”

His words: “It is unfortunate that some people have been deceived into thinking that this land is available to sell to anyone. And in our system we are going to investigate and find all those who are involved in this. Having said that, the law will prevail and ignorance of the law is not an excuse. It is quite unfortunate that many people will lose thousands and millions of naira.”

•Photo shows Governor El-Rufai.

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