Kano govt uncovers 60 illegal layouts posing security challenge in state

The Kano State Urban Planning and Development Authority, KNUPDA, has uncovered 60 new layouts under construction, following investigations to sanitize the city from unplanned structures.

To further its inspection and control against the illegal layouts, the state government also set up designated courts to try those in the illegal layouts business with a harsh punishment of six months imprisonment without an option of fine.

Speaking while unavailing the committee saddled with the responsibility of uncovering the illegal layouts across the state, the Managing Director, KNUPDA, Ibrahim Yakubu Adamu, hinted that out of the 60 illegal layouts uncovered, owners of 40 have responded to the committee’s invitation while others refused to honour the invitation.

He said, “Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, has given us full powers to operate and ensure that we sanitize the state from the rampant unplanned building of layouts and anybody found wanting of the law will surely be punished.”

Adamu explained that the government has reactivated an existing law of 2011, which gives it full powers to arrest and prosecute anybody who abuses the State Building planning.

However, he said to complement the stoppage of the illegal layouts across the state, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, has approved the building of two new layouts that will be fully channelled with all the necessary infrastructural development needs.

He warned that his office ”would hesitate to fully apply the enforcement laws on anybody who refuses to comply with the directives against illegal layouts business and don’t forget that the punishment is 3-6 months imprisonment without an option of fine”.