Why We Demolished ‘Kaduna S*x Party’ Building – KASUPDA

The Kaduna State Urban Development and Planning Authority
(KASUPDA) explained on Tuesday why it demolished a building
scheduled to host a so-called ‘Kaduna Sex Party’ on New Year’s
Eve.

KASUPDA officials had on December 31, 2020, demolished a
building housing Asher Lounge in Sabin Tasha area of Kaduna
city.

Addressing a press conference, the KASUPDA Director-General
Ismail Umaru Dikko said that the building housing the advertised
sex party had ‘neither a valid title nor development permit,’ apart
from the violation of COVID-19 protocols.

‘Since this enforcement action, much of the commentary on the
matter has centred on the inaccurate statement from KASUPDA’s
Twitter account. While regretting the inaccuracy of the handler of
our social media account, there is no reservation about the steps
taken pursuant to enforce the laws and regulations of Kaduna State
on a property that was in violation of its provisions,’ Dikko
said.

‘Since 26th March 2020, the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)
Partial Lockdown Order, 2020 have been in force in Kaduna State.
Although some of the regulations were significantly relaxed in June
2020, they were tightened again in December 2020 in response to the
second wave of COVID-19 infections.

‘Indications that an activity in violation of the COVID
regulations was planned to be held in Asher Lounge drew attention
to the property and made it necessary to examine the status of the
building. Checks of government records showed that the building
housing Asher Lounge has neither a valid title nor development
permit. Once due diligence revealed the illegal status of the
building, there was a need for enforcement action without the
notification requirements that the law compels for holders of valid
title and development permits.

‘The illegal status of the building became a very separate
matter from the trigger event: the third-party elements who had
planned and advertised an unlawful gathering on those premises.

‘Violation of a set of rules and regulations may lead to a focus
on the status of compliance with other laws and regulations. This
happened in the case of a school whose management were caught
flouting COVID-19 regulations. This led the relevant authorities to
check official records which revealed the school to be a serial
violator, quite apart from the COVID-19 infraction that drew
attention in the first place.

‘It is sadly true that many people have developed property
without bothering to acquire valid title or secure development
permit. Aware of such mass infractions, the Kaduna State Government
has created a pathway since 2015 to enable people to regularise
their titles and move away from illegality. KASUPDA has also tried
to assist willing citizens to obtain development permits for new
projects and to remedy their lack of same for extant projects.

‘More recently, Kaduna State Government officials across
agencies have been engaged in the Public Service on Wheels
programme. As the development control agency, KASUPDA has been an
active participant in this programme along with KADGIS, the agency
responsible for land administration in the state.

‘By virtue of various land administration and development
control initiatives conceived and implemented in the last five
years, there is no excuse for anyone in Kaduna State to remain
without valid title to their property and permits for any
development thereon. Residents that have taken advantage of this
opportunity have thereby been assisted to vest their property with
legal status. Those who have chosen to remain in violation and have
shunned opportunities to regularise their status cannot argue from
sentiment when enforcement actions are taken.

‘There are many properties in Kaduna State that are in this
category. Their sheer number means that KASUPDA does not have the
staff strength to undertake enforcement action on all of them. But
those whose cases come to the agency’s attention and are found not
to have the necessary papers cannot expect inaction.’

The Kaduna State Urban Development and Planning Authority
(KASUPDA) explained on Tuesday why it demolished a building
scheduled to host a so-called ‘Kaduna Sex Party’ on New Year’s
Eve.

KASUPDA officials had on December 31, 2020, demolished a
building housing Asher Lounge in Sabin Tasha area of Kaduna
city.

Addressing a press conference, the KASUPDA Director-General
Ismail Umaru Dikko said that the building housing the advertised
sex party had ‘neither a valid title nor development permit,’ apart
from the violation of COVID-19 protocols.

‘Since this enforcement action, much of the commentary on the
matter has centred on the inaccurate statement from KASUPDA’s
Twitter account. While regretting the inaccuracy of the handler of
our social media account, there is no reservation about the steps
taken pursuant to enforce the laws and regulations of Kaduna State
on a property that was in violation of its provisions,’ Dikko
said.

‘Since 26th March 2020, the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)
Partial Lockdown Order, 2020 have been in force in Kaduna State.
Although some of the regulations were significantly relaxed in June
2020, they were tightened again in December 2020 in response to the
second wave of COVID-19 infections.

‘Indications that an activity in violation of the COVID
regulations was planned to be held in Asher Lounge drew attention
to the property and made it necessary to examine the status of the
building. Checks of government records showed that the building
housing Asher Lounge has neither a valid title nor development
permit. Once due diligence revealed the illegal status of the
building, there was a need for enforcement action without the
notification requirements that the law compels for holders of valid
title and development permits.

‘The illegal status of the building became a very separate
matter from the trigger event: the third-party elements who had
planned and advertised an unlawful gathering on those premises.

‘Violation of a set of rules and regulations may lead to a focus
on the status of compliance with other laws and regulations. This
happened in the case of a school whose management were caught
flouting COVID-19 regulations. This led the relevant authorities to
check official records which revealed the school to be a serial
violator, quite apart from the COVID-19 infraction that drew
attention in the first place.

‘It is sadly true that many people have developed property
without bothering to acquire valid title or secure development
permit. Aware of such mass infractions, the Kaduna State Government
has created a pathway since 2015 to enable people to regularise
their titles and move away from illegality. KASUPDA has also tried
to assist willing citizens to obtain development permits for new
projects and to remedy their lack of same for extant projects.

‘More recently, Kaduna State Government officials across
agencies have been engaged in the Public Service on Wheels
programme. As the development control agency, KASUPDA has been an
active participant in this programme along with KADGIS, the agency
responsible for land administration in the state.

‘By virtue of various land administration and development
control initiatives conceived and implemented in the last five
years, there is no excuse for anyone in Kaduna State to remain
without valid title to their property and permits for any
development thereon. Residents that have taken advantage of this
opportunity have thereby been assisted to vest their property with
legal status. Those who have chosen to remain in violation and have
shunned opportunities to regularise their status cannot argue from
sentiment when enforcement actions are taken.

‘There are many properties in Kaduna State that are in this
category. Their sheer number means that KASUPDA does not have the
staff strength to undertake enforcement action on all of them. But
those whose cases come to the agency’s attention and are found not
to have the necessary papers cannot expect inaction.’