Some of the affected structures are residential buildings, Schools, Hall and Event Centers, Religious Houses, “F” Divisional Police Station, Shops, Office buildings, Ware Houses, Hotels among others.
The exercise will affect some of the perimeter fences of the affected buildings, Walls ,whole building among others.
The affected buildings were ‘red-marked’ with inscription “NNPC Remove, 6.5m,13.8m,10m, 15.6m ” from the Roemichs International School down to the Kwara State Judges Quarters, Pipe line road Tanke.
Another building marked for demolition
One of the owners of the affected properties, and a retiree, Elder Rapheal Lanre Titiloye told the Herald that “it was just on Tuesday (March 13) that they saw some fully armed Military officers and some officials of the NNPC parading their areas.
“The team came along with some instruments meant for the discovering of Oil Pipe lines and for marking of houses and other properties ”
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According to him, “the Army Officers and NNPC told us that they are sent to come and officially inform some of us to remove our properties as some of the properties have violated building rules of the government particularly those places where there is Oil Pipe lines”.
He explained, “immediately we got the information of the demolition, we the owners of the affected properties called ourselves and we went to the Ilorin office of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and the Kwara State Town Planning Development Authority.
“We are told at the DPR office to contact the NNPC office at Ishagamu, Ogun State or the Head Office of the NNPC at Abuja as they (DPR) don’t have any knowledge about the development in the area”.
Elder Titiloye said some of the owners of the affected properties acquired their lands and built their various buildings about 30 years ago and above.
He informed that many of the affected properties were owned by retirees, wodows, aged persons, low income earners among other people.
Titiloye explained further that no case of vandalisation of any Oil Pipe line has been recorded in the area, assured that the people of the area would continue to support government in the monitoring exercise of Oil Pipe lines and other properties belonging to the government.
Titiloye, however appealed to the Federal Government, especially the management of the Nigeria National Petroleum Cooperation to have a rethink and withdraw their plans on the demolition exercise as such action would render many homeless.
He added that most of the affected structures are serving as the only means of livelihood to the various owners of the buildings.
He said the properties have been marked for demolition tomorrow Tuesday, March, 20 2018.
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