Families of Police Officers Protest Demolition of Houses in Sokoto

Families of police officers in Sokoto have protested the alleged demolition of their homes by the Sokoto State Government. The houses, situated on Kontagora Road, were reportedly destroyed early on Sunday by a bulldozer accompanied by Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) officials. A witness reported that the fence and part of one dwelling had been dismantled.

One of the affected, Hajiya Safiya, a widow of late Assistant Commissioner of Police Haliru Gwarzo, recounted that she and her children had been awoken to the sound of machinery approaching their residence. They fled, only to find the bulldozer had already begun demolition with the assistance of security personnel. She lamented that her husband's service in Sabon Birni Local Government had ended in his death, leaving her to care for their children.

Safiya implored the Inspector-General of Police and the Sokoto State Police Commissioner to step in. Hajiya Shafa'atu Abubakar, another victim, requested that the houses be transferred to the police officers under an owner-occupier basis, criticizing the act as similar to what happens in other regions. The demolition has left the residents vulnerable to theft and other crimes, as the fence's removal has exposed them.

A court notice, filed by All Pro Developers Limited against the Sokoto State Police Commissioner and nine others, was found on the affected properties. The tribunal's order, which granted only partial relief, requires the defendants to appear in court on September 8, 2026. A police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that the state had offered 10 houses to the police at the Marafa Danbaba Housing Estate as an alternative to the demolished residences.

The Sokoto State Commissioner for Land and Housing, Nasiru Dantsoho, was unaware of these developments, stating that his ministry had not intervened.