Residents of Kofare and Dundere communities in Yola South Local Government Area of Adamawa State have called on the state government to compensate property owners affected by the ongoing demolition linked to the Yola International Stadium project.
The affected residents said several homes and landed properties have either been pulled down or marked for demolition to make way for the stadium complex, which is currently under construction. In all, about 166 houses and other properties are expected to be cleared as work on the project continues.
Chairman of the Kofare and Dundere community, Mohammed Abdullahi Suleiman, appealed to the government to ensure that everyone impacted by the exercise is properly compensated. Speaking with journalists in Yola, he said many of the landlords followed due process in acquiring their plots and had lived on the land for years before they were suddenly asked to vacate.
According to him, some of the affected residents have occupied their properties for as long as 15 years, making the development even more painful for families now facing displacement. He noted that while the community supports the government’s decision to revive and complete the long abandoned stadium project, the manner in which the demolition is being carried out has left many residents distressed.
Suleiman urged Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri to approach the issue with compassion, saying the people do not deserve to be treated harshly, especially if they built on the land without fully knowing the history of the disputed area. He argued that many of the affected residents are ordinary citizens who supported the present administration and should not be left to bear such losses without any form of relief.
The Adamawa State Government, however, has maintained that the affected lands were illegally acquired and fall within the area originally reserved for the stadium project. Officials of the administration have repeatedly said the occupants encroached on government land and were notified several times about plans to reclaim it.
According to the government, those affected failed to take the warnings seriously and ignored repeated directives to vacate the area. That position eventually led to the deployment of bulldozers last month to begin the demolition exercise.
Zoyols News gathered that the Yola stadium project dates back to 1986 during the era of Senator David Jang, who was then serving as military administrator of the old Gongola State, now Adamawa. Although the project was initiated decades ago, it suffered years of abandonment and remained unfinished through successive administrations.
The administration of former governor Murtala Nyako later attempted to revive the project, but it was not completed before he left office in 2014. The current administration has since renewed efforts to finish the stadium and has reportedly pushed the project to about 90 percent completion.
As construction expands into areas that previous governments never reached, the latest phase has brought it into direct conflict with private property owners now described by the state as encroachers. For many residents in Kofare and Dundere, the issue is no longer just about land ownership, but about fairness, displacement and whether the government will acknowledge the losses they say they have suffered.
