Kano seals over 300 illegal structures
The Kano State Government has sealed more than 300 illegal structures across the city as part of a fresh crackdown on violations of urban planning laws.
The chairman of the Kano State Taskforce on Illegal Structures, Dr Dalhatu Aliyu Sani, announced the exercise on Wednesday, saying it targeted buildings constructed without approval or in breach of the state’s master plan.
The enforcement covered major roads, including Maiduguri Road, Western Bypass, Eastern Bypass, Ahmadu Bello Way, and Gwarzo Road.
Properties affected included Dan’agundi Shopping Plaza, block-making sites, a car park, a Chinese construction company’s site, buildings under high-tension power lines in Rimin Gata, and a two-storey building in Gadon Kaya that was sealed again by the taskforce.
Dr Sani said the operation focused on structures built on road setbacks, public land, waterways, and power line corridors, describing them as violations of planning regulations.
He directed owners of the sealed properties to report to the Kano Geographic Information System (KANGIS) headquarters on Dr Bala Muhammad Way to regularise their documents.
According to him, owners must present their Certificates of Occupancy (C of O), land allocation papers, and approved building plans before their properties can be reopened or construction allowed to continue.
He warned that developers who ignore the directive would face prosecution, stressing that the government has adopted a “zero-tolerance policy against unapproved developments.”
Dr Sani added that the committee would continue enforcing planning laws across Kano to ensure all physical developments follow due process and existing regulations.