Railway project: FG yet to compensate us 4 months after ruling – Kano landowners

Landowners in Kano's Inna community have complained that the Federal Ministry of Transportation has failed to fulfill two court orders to compensate them for land seized for a railway project. In April last year, a Kano High Court halted railway construction on the disputed land and ordered the government to pay compensation before resuming.

Just four months ago, a similar court reaffirmed the initial ruling, insisting that the ministry could not proceed without compensating the affected residents. However, nearly four months after the latest judgment, residents claim the ministry has not only failed to pay them but also not contacted them to fulfill its obligations.

Isah Jibril Kaci Kasa, representing the landowners, claims the community feels wronged. "If government takes land worth ten million naira and gives you a replacement plot worth one or two million, that is injustice," he stated to Daily Trust. Kaci Kasa, also Chairman of the Kano Property Agents Development Association, explained that while the Kano State governor offered alternative plots as a gesture, it is the Federal Ministry's duty to compensate.

He alleged that residents were coerced into submitting original documents under military supervision, threatened with force if they resisted. "It felt like coercion. Soldiers were brought in to intimidate us. That is why we went to court," he alleged.

The landowners insist they will not accept the replacement plots until the promised compensation is paid, warning that until then, they will not collect the plots. They demand that the Federal Government live up to its commitments, stating, "Our prayer is simple: let them release the money they promised. Even if it is not the full value, at least something should be given. Otherwise, this injustice will continue."

Community members expressed frustration that land values have skyrocketed since the dispute began. "When this issue started, plots were worth about two million," one resident remarked. "Now they are seven or eight million. The longer they delay, the more we lose." When contacted, the ministry's press officer, Muhammad Tahir Zakari, claimed ignorance of the issue and promised to investigate the matter upon learning of it.