The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has begun demolishing properties in Kano’s Aviation Quarters, sparking tensions over ownership rights.
Obadaki Muhammad Mustapha, Secretary of the Aviation Quarters Committee and a staff member of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), criticized the demolition as a violation of a federal government-approved sale of the properties.
Mustapha explained that residents had been negotiating with the government since 2011 under the Presidential Implementation Committee (PIC) on Sale of Government Properties.
By 2021, the federal government reportedly approved the sale, and many occupants had completed payments and obtained ownership documents.
However, FAAN opposed the sales, arguing that the Aviation Quarters were originally designated as duty residences for airport staff and should not have been sold without its consent.
FAAN’s Acting Regional General Manager for Northwest Kano, Ahmad Danjuma, stated that the agency was not consulted before the sales and only learned about them informally.
Danjuma further alleged that some FAAN staff illegally purchased and resold the properties, leading to unauthorized modifications.
He stated that FAAN was acting on directives from its headquarters to reclaim the properties and had issued multiple eviction notices before proceeding with the demolition.
The affected residents, insisting they have legal ownership, have taken legal action to challenge FAAN’s demolition.
The dispute may now be settled in court.
FAAN demolishes homes in Kano amid ownership dispute
