Boko Haram: Borno Hoteliers Lament Demolition of Properties By State Govt, Want Compensation

The Association of Borno State Hoteliers has called on the state government to pay compensation to their members whose hotels were demolished during the recent clampdown on black spots in Maiduguri, the state capital.

The association, which claimed that over 40 hotels were demolished in the exercise, said the government, alternatively, can give them new structures to replace their destroyed hotels.

Addressing journalists on Tuesday in Maiduguri, the association which claimed it has over 57 members, said it was regrettable that at this critical time of post-insurgency in the state with the burden of job creation heavier than before, the state government could contemplate and even go ahead to demolish properties of those creating employment and add to the rate of unemployment.

The Secretary of the association, Mr. Abraham Kaanti, who addressed the press conference, lamented that the demolition also affected non hoteliers, like people operating restaurants, provision stores, fast food joints and host of others.

He said: "We are operators that the demolition exercise affected. We have been operating hotel business for almost 40 years, and suddenly, the Borno State Government started the demolition of our properties without adequate notice.

“Our properties such as refrigerators, televisions, chairs among others, were looted while the demolishing was going on. We have been paying tax to the state and federal governments.

"This action made us feel being treated as non-Nigerians, notwithstanding that our operations as hoteliers provided job for the indigenes of the state, who were managers, waiters, guards, cleaners among others in our hotels. We also felt that we are being treated this way because most of us are not from the state.”

Kannti added that: “We are Nigerians and the constitution empowers us to live and do business within the federation. Our efforts to hear from the state government on the way forward after the demolition proved abortive as letters written to the government did not get any response.

"Therefore, as law abiding citizens and supporters of this administration, we call on the Borno State Government to look into the issue with a view to compensating us as soon as possible.

“We lost three members who died from high blood pressure as a result of trauma over the demolished properties."

However, earlier in his response over the demolition exercise, the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Kaka Shehu Lawal, who is also the chairman of the committee set up for the demolition of illegal structures and drug cartels in the state, had told journalists that government decision was informed as a result of growing concern over new trend of crimes, especially in the Galadima area, where most of the hotels were located.

Lawal added that the situation, if not arrested, would breed something more terrible than the Boko Haram insurgency that ravaged the state for the past nine years before the emerging peace following the defeat of the terrorists.

He noted that the hoteliers were notified about the government's action in January, March and April this year, but no response came from them before the three-day notice in June this year that expired before the demolition exercise.