Four youths have been reported dead, while over 25 others sustained various degrees of injuries from the gunshots of armed security personnel drafted on Friday to Gbagyi Villa by the Kaduna State government to demolish structures in the area.
Several structures, including churches, were demolished by the Nasir el-Rufai administration, an issue that spanned more than six years.
Gbagyi Villa is a suburb of Kaduna town in the Chikun Local Government Area of the state.
The demolition was carried out on Friday by the Kaduna State Urban Planning Development Agency under the instruction of el-Rufai, hours before handing over to Uba Sani.
The community was engulfed with gunshots and tear gas, making it difficult for the people attempting to resist the demolition exercise to get close to the government agency.
The youth leader of Chikun Local Government Area in Gbagyi Chiefdom, Comrade Akila Luka Barde, who confirmed the incident to our correspondent, said four youths have been confirmed dead while over 25 sustained various degrees of gunshot wounds.
He explained that he was at the mechanic workshop in Kurmin Mashi when he received a distress call that KASUPDA officials were in his community with over 200 security personnel to carry out a demolition exercise.
“I rushed down home immediately to see what was happening. I then confronted them and the officials of the KASUPDA said they were there to demolish houses that are on the fence of the Kaduna Polytechnic.
“We stood there while they carried out the demolition exercise, but later they started demolishing houses that were not close to the fence, which caused serious pandemonium between some youths and the security personnel.
“The disturbing thing was that even some of the houses that paid the N20,000 regularisation fees were also demolished, which further worsened the situation.
“You could see that the security personnel of the Kaduna State Vigilante Service broke my left leg and one of my arms,” he lamented.
Akila said they accused him of inciting the youths against them.
“And that’s not true because I did not invite anyone. The information I received is that KADVIS has killed four people while over 25 sustained injuries from gunshots.
Akila said KADVIS are more wicked than even the soldiers that are part of the demolition exercise.
He called on the youths to calm down as necessary steps will be taken to address the issue.
Our correspondent who was at the demolition site observed that some families with their children who were affected by the demolition exercise were seen crying while their properties were seen stranded.
The Kaduna State Police Public Relations Officer, Mohammed Jalige, when contacted, said he was not aware of the incident but would get back with details.
