Imagine squeezing a 50-metre river into a 10-metre gap — that’s exactly what Kano’s task force just stopped at Kwari Market.

As reported by cbinews.tv

The Kano State Government has finally said “enough is enough” and put a stop to construction work happening right on top of waterways at Kwari Market. The whole point? To get rid of illegal structures that are clogging up drainage channels and to stop the city from flooding again.

This all went down on Wednesday when an 11-man task force rolled up, led by Dr. Dalhatu Aliyu Sani, the Director-General of Kano Geographic Information System (KANGIS). And they weren’t just there for a look-see — they meant business.

Speaking during the exercise, Dr. Sani made it clear the government isn’t going to sit back while buildings block drains and put people’s lives and property at risk.

He didn’t mince words about Kwari Market. According to him, people have been building straight on drainage channels and waterways. That drainage? It was originally about 50 metres wide. But thanks to “selfish interests”, it’s been squeezed down to less than 10 metres.

“The Kano state government will not allow this,” he said flat out.

And this isn’t just about rules for rules’ sake. Dr. Sani reminded everyone that years ago, the same area was hit by serious flooding that destroyed properties and, tragically, took lives. He’s adamant that can’t happen again.

“This is not something we will tolerate. The government is responsible for protecting lives and property. These structures can endanger the lives of people in the market and, by extension, the entire Kano,” he added. He’s also asking the public to speak up — if you know of any illegal structure, report it to the committee.

The task force isn’t stopping here either. Dr. Sani warned that they’ll keep pulling down illegal structures until order is restored. His message to anyone thinking of ignoring the warning? Go ahead and build if you want — the task force will just come and demolish it. They’ve done it before and they’ll do it again.

It wasn’t just Kwari Market under the microscope. The team inspected Tal’udu, Eastern Bypass, Mariri, and Danladi Nasidi, and found illegal developments all over. In Tal’udu, they even sealed a mosque for flouting planning regulations.

“It is not only the mosque that was sealed. There are several illegal structures in those areas. Those places were taken over by the government. The land was originally reserved for specific purposes, possibly for a garden or other public use, but people went ahead and built on them,” Dr. Sani explained.

His take on the mosque sealing was straightforward: “We are all Muslims and understand that Islam is based on law and order. This is not a situation where people can act without regulation or proper approval.” If you want to build, go through the proper channels. Get approval first. Simple.

All in, over 40 buildings were sealed across the state during the operation.

Credit: cbinews.tv

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