Residents Lament as Borno Begins Demolition of Houses for Airport Upgrade

Residents of Shawari 5 area in Maiduguri, Borno State, have expressed distress over the ongoing demolition of their houses by the state government for the expansion of the Muhammadu Buhari International Airport. The demolition exercise, which began on Thursday, has left many homeowners feeling neglected, as they claim they were given only a three-day notice, with no compensation or relocation plans.

The affected homes are located behind the 7 Division Garrison Command of the Nigerian Army, and as bulldozers tore down the buildings, residents were seen hurriedly collecting valuables from their homes. Those whose houses have been marked for demolition but not yet demolished were busy removing roofs in anticipation of the impending destruction.

Yusuf Yunusa, whose house has already been demolished, lamented that he had invested around N18 million in building his home and was only given a three-day notice. He called on Governor Babagana Umara Zulum to provide compensation or alternative accommodation for displaced families like his. Similarly, Abdulateef Mohammed, whose house was marked but not yet demolished, requested more time to remove his belongings and secure new housing before the demolition.

Alhaji Mustapha, another resident, noted that many in the area do not have official land titles, as the properties were purchased from community leaders. He appealed for some form of compensation from the state government to avoid losing their investments completely.

In response to the residents’ complaints, TP Liman Musta pha, the General Manager of the Borno State Urban Planning Development Board, explained that the demolition was necessary to clear land for the airport’s upgrade. He emphasized that the residents had been informed of the illegality of their occupation since 2020, with ongoing efforts to stop construction in the area. Mustapha further stated that the plan was to clear a 500-meter buffer zone from the airport’s perimeter.

Acting Regional Manager of the Muhammadu Buhari International Airport, Adamu Sheikh Matunkolo, added that the airport’s expansion was crucial for the facility to handle international operations. He explained that the creation of additional space was necessary for safety, particularly to establish a “crash gate” to prevent any potential accidents if aircraft skidded off the runway. Matunkolo noted that signposts had been placed to mark the area, but residents had removed them.

Despite the reasoning behind the demolition, the situation has caused significant confusion and distress for the affected residents, who feel that the process has been carried out with insufficient notice and support.