By Ankeli Emmanuel (Sokoto)
Settlers in Raymond village, a settlement sharing perimeter fence with Giginya Barracks in Sokoto have expressed concern as the Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, visited the area and promised to demolish the place soon.
Tambuwal who premised his decision on recommendations by security agencies in the State added that Police recently raided the place and arrested 145 persons suspected to be of questionable character.
According to him, 45 of those arrested have been charged to court as disclosed by the State Commissioner of Police, CP Kamaladeen Okunlola.
Explaining the reasons for his expected action, governor Tambuwal said, the settlement has been harboring drug peddlers, drug addicts, and all manner of criminals posing a great threat to their cherished tradition, value, and culture.
The governor noted that he had earlier set up a committee in 2016 shortly after the assumption of office as governor to investigate Raymond village, adding that the reports he received showed that the majority of the residents there erected structures without valid construction permits.
While stressing that he has given orders that a thorough vetting of every individual residing in Raymond village is done without delay, Tambuwal assured that they will get to know those doing genuine and legal businesses to avoid treating innocent people unjustly.
The governor who was visibly disturbed about the degree of nefarious activities purportedly going on in Raymond village said the decision to demolish the settlement was not targeted at any religious or ethnic group or politically motivated.
''The committee will conduct a thorough screening of all occupants. Those with genuine documents and businesses will be relocated to another place.
''We are not targeting any group, tribe, or individuals, but to ensure a crime-free environment in the village for the common good of citizens.
''We are going to demolish this place. I don't want any section of the country to misread or misjudge this action. Citizens from across all Nigeria reside here and those with lawful businesses will definitely be relocated", governor Tambuwal said.
In his Save-Our-Soul cry, the village head, Aminu Bunun Danbuwa, said admitting that Raymond village has been a source of great concern to all residents there was simply a statement of fact, hence he appealed to the governor to help them sanitize the settlement.
While giving security reports on the settlement, the State Commissioner of Police, CP Kamaldeen Okunlola, admitted that Raymond village has been in their black book as a settlement that harbors all sorts of criminals. NNL.