The Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Garbai Al-Amin El-Kanemi, has supported the State’s Urban Planning Development Board (UPDB) to remove, demolish illegal shops and structures in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC) and Jere local council.

According to the Monarch, the removal and demolition of shops and structures will restore contiguous urban development to prevent future disasters through the enforcement of the board’s development plans for Maiduguri and Jere.

El-Kanemi’s support for the demolition of structures was made last week at his palace in Maiduguri, during a courtesy visit of the Borno State Urban Planning and Development Board (BUPDB), led by the General Manager, Liman Mustapha and Board’s chairman, Ibrahim Wala.

The royal father stated that though the recent flooding is a natural phenomenon, its devastating impact could be significantly reduced through what he described as, coordinated urban planning and strict enforcement of development control regulations.”

He, therefore, emphasised the urgent need to dredge Rivers Yedzaram and Ngadda, including the Alau Dam that collapsed last September, claiming about 150 lives with the destruction of several infrastructures in the state.

He noted that dredging the two rivers and dam sites off Bama Road could mitigate the risks of flooding and boost water supply for households and irrigation farming.

While pledging the support of traditional rulers, he said, “The residents and businessmen affected in the removal and demolition exercise should cooperate with the urban development board, including the Borno State Geographic Information Service (BOGIS).

Earlier, Mustapha said, “We’ll begin with the removal of illegal structures built under high-tension power lines and on road reservations of Maiduguri and Jere.He added that the display and sale of firewood, charcoal, building materials, and other goods have been banned by the urban development board.

He further declared the banning of the sale of these items on Bama, Dikwa, Mohammed Indimi and Gambole roads, including the Maiduguri-Kano Expressway that terminated at the State University (BOSU). Other structures to be removed included unauthorised billboards, posters, and other advertisement materials pasted on streetlights and electric poles.

“They have violated the urban development laws, which cluttered the urban landscape of Maiduguri and Jere local council areas. He attributed the recent flooding of Maiduguri and its environs to climate change and the building of houses and other structures on the riverbanks of Yedzaram and Ngadda that crisscross the cities of Maiduguri and Jere.

“Besides the demolition of illegal structures, Mustapha told El-Kanemi that 200 metres of the 500 metre buffer, reserved by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) have already been reclaimed. The GM said, “Plans are underway to recover the remaining 300 metres to ensure safety at the Muhammadu Buhari International Airport (MBIA), Maiduguri.”