The Kano State Government has intensified its crackdown on illegal structures and unauthorised developments in the metropolis, with the State Committee on Illegal Structures sealing more than 25 structures during a fresh enforcement operation on Monday.
The committee visited a number of locations during the operation, including Farm Centre, Gidan Gona and Sokoto Road in Tarauni Local Government Area; NNDC Quarters; Hauren Legal along BUK Road in Gwale Local Government Area; Sani Mainagge in Gwale; and Kwakwaci in Fagge Local Government Area.
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The enforcement team also sealed a plaza at Fagge C, near Sabuwar Bata, in Fagge Local Government Area, as well as another structure in Fagge C.
The chairman of the committee, Dr. Dalhatu Aliyu Sani, has previously warned owners and developers of illegal structures to comply with planning regulations and verify their documentation before commencing construction.
GLOBAL TRACKER Recalled that during recently inspection of the Kano State Government Girls College, WTC, the committee chairman ordered that structures found to have been illegally erected on the school’s land be marked as illegal.
He also directed affected developers to report to the committee at the Kano State Geographic Information System (KANGIS) to have their documents verified before continuing with any construction or other development activities.
The WTC intervention followed concerns raised by the school management over alleged encroachment, land grabbing and trespassing into the premises, including areas around the female students’ hostel.
The committee chairman had disclosed that the enforcement campaign was not limited to one location, saying the government was determined to identify and deal with illegal structures across the metropolis.
As part of the earlier enforcement drive, the committee had sealed more than 300 illegal structures along major roads and strategic locations in Kano, including Maiduguri Road, Western Bypass, Eastern Bypass, Ahmadu Bello Way and Gwarzo Road, among others.
But now the figures has risen to about 400 illegal Structures.
The latest operation therefore represents a continuation of an enforcement campaign that has increasingly focused on structures considered to violate approved physical planning requirements or encroach on spaces reserved for public use.
The government’s campaign also comes amid a wider drive by the Ministry of Land and Physical Planning to strengthen land administration, protect government property and curb land grabbing.
The committee’s enforcement activities are consequently being viewed as part of a broader attempt to restore order to Kano’s rapidly expanding urban environment.
The proliferation of unauthorised structures has long raised concerns over access roads, drainage channels, traffic flow, public spaces and the implementation of approved urban development plans.
The latest sealing exercise also sends a warning to developers that possession of land does not automatically confer the right to construct without complying with approved planning requirements.
Dr. Dalhatu has maintained that developers should ensure their documents are properly verified and that proposed developments comply with government regulations before commencing construction.
The committee is expected to continue its inspections and enforcement activities across the metropolis as the state government steps up efforts to control urban development and protect public spaces.
For residents and property developers, the continuing operations underscore the importance of obtaining proper approvals and verifying land documentation before investing in construction.