Reports reaching Newsdiaryonline.com from Jos indicate that just two days after the demolition of shops and structures in Terminus market in Plateau state by the City Renewal Task Force set up by the state government some of the victims are threatening to seek redress in the court of law.
One of them is Mr Johnson Podar, gubernatorial candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in the last general election whose shopping complex and public toilet was demolished by the Task Force headed by retired General Musa Gambo. He described the demolition of his shopping complex as an act of injustice laced with a political undertone since his structure was legal with approval of the state government’s agency.
He said, “I am looking at the injustice done on me as a deliberate act with a political undertone because I am legally occupying the place and have lease agreement of Jos Metropolitan Development Board. I have also been paying ground rent but unfortunately they went ahead to demolish my structures without even notice”. Mr. Podar further disclosed that he had instructed all his tenants to compile the worth of their properties damaged by the task force in order to challenge the State Government and the task force in a court of law and urged his tenants to remain calm and not to take laws into their hands.
Also,Mr Donatus,is a tenant of shopping complex said Electronics worth N1.9 million in his shop were destroyed by the task force. He said, he deserved to be given a notice before demolishing his shop and that he doesn’t know where to start from as his properties were destroyed and looted.
Another man who simply gave his identity simply as Alhaji Mukhtari said he lost properties worth N600,000 in the same complex saying some of his properties were stolen before the demolition because the remains of his demolished shop indicate that some items including two new plasma television sets had disappeared..
