BY OUR CORRESPONDENT – A Truck has reportedly killed a boy and injured many others in the ongoing demolition of structures at the Eid Ground situated in the Kofar-Mata area of the Kano metropolis.
According to reports, the unfortunate incident occurred when some thugs invaded the scene to loot items from the debris of the demolished structures.
It was gathered that as the demolition of what the new administration of Governor Abba Yusuf described as “illegal structures” entered its fourth day, the thugs have made looting shops and the demolished structures within the vicinity a thriving business.
Eyewitnesses’ accounts indicated that the boy, in the company of other colleagues, was busy removing iron rods, doors, and other materials from the demolished site when a vehicle ran over him and he died on the spot.
One of the eyewitnesses volunteered; “We were standing here when the boy and others came out of the site with roofing sheets, iron rods, and doors. We don’t know who was pursuing them. They were many but he was unlucky as a trailer ran over him and he died instantly in the process of rushing to cross the road.”
Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports also indicated that another person may have died with many others sustaining injuries when the remains of some buildings collapsed on them while trying to remove iron rods and other items from the demolished structures.
Earlier reports on the demolition said thugs have taken undue advantage of the current exercise to enrich themselves and one of those affected lamented to reporters thus; “It is quite an unfortunate development. With the government demolishing a few shops inside the Eid ground, the thugs have taken advantage of this situation to destroy other shops and loot everything inside.”
Further stating that the doors of some locked shops were forcefully removed or destroyed by the criminal elements, he said; “Openly, one could see how some of the boys removed the doors, water tanks, building materials, and other valuables inside the looted shops.
“And on the spot, you could see most of the haggling over the prices and selling the items off at very cheap rates”, adding that this unfortunate development happened despite spirited efforts by the Police from the Fagge Division to disperse the unruly crowd from the scene.
Speaking to reporters, the Kano State Police Command’s Spokesperson, Abdullahi Kiyawa, said 49 suspects have so far been arrested with some items considered stolen from the demolished structures, adding that; “Some of the recovered items include three flashy doors, flashy windows, four air conditioners, eight pieces of iron doors and 16 heavy duty hammers.”
However, Kiyawa did not give further details on the next line of action the Command would take against the suspects currently in custody over the looting incident.
