BY OUR CORRESPONDENT – The Sokoto State Government has abruptly shut down and sealed a major office of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), citing public safety concerns and a desperate need to protect lives and property after violent clashes broke out at the facility.
Officials moved in on the building on Monday following violent clashes between party loyalists and local thugs and according to the Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Barrister Nasiru Dantsoho, the emergency closure was necessary to protect lives and prevent further chaos in the area.
This is as the Commissioner hinted that a deeper legal battle may be brewing following a government audit of available documents relating to the property and discovery that it was originally owned by the defunct Savannah Bank, with no official change of ownership reflected in the records
He said the government had written to the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), which he described as the custodian of the property, seeking clarification on its current ownership but was yet to receive a response.
Offering insights on the controversy surrounding the said property, the Commissioner stated thus: “Following a review of the certificate of occupancy and other relevant documents, we discovered that this property belongs to the Savannah Bank, and that ownership has not changed as of today. We have written to the NDIC, the custodian of this building, to clarify its present ownership, but we are yet to receive a response.”
Dantsoho said the government has decided that until the NDIC responds to its inquiries, the gates to the building will remain under lock and keys, stressing further that sealing the premises was a necessary, preemptive strike to defuse escalating tensions and protect public safety.
He sated further that while the government is ready to hand back the keys to anyone who can prove legitimate ownership, in the meantime there is no backing down on its decision and the state will retains total control until the rightful deed is brought to light.
Warning that anyone attempting to breach the sealed premises would face immediate legal prosecution by the state government, the Commissioner said the administration will not sit idly by while agitators threaten the peace, adding that going forward, any attempt to disrupt public safety will be met with swift, decisive action.
With the government insisting that the rule of law remains non-negotiable, and the state is fully prepared to defend it, political commentators are saying that this high-stakes standoff is unfolding against a backdrop of rapidly escalating political tension in Sokoto, where violent clashes have already broken out between ADC supporters and state security operatives.
