How Kano IDPs were evicted over failure to pay rent
Payment of rent and capital to start a business has continued to remain a major concern to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Hotoro quarters in Nasarawa Local Government Area (LGA) of Kano State. Most of them from Kukawa LGA of Borno State are jam-packed in the few houses they rent cry of untold hardship, ranging from lack of food and harassment by landlords due to their inability to pay rent on time.
The IDPs said they were tired of people coming to make promises they end up not fulfilling. “Most have decided to stay at home that is why you are seeing only a few of us. We are around 70. Many times the media and other groups come and yet nothing comes out of such visits,” said the leader of the group, Malam Muhammad Sadi.
Sadi observed that since their arrival three years ago, they have been trying to make ends meet but because they have no standing businesses, they still suffer. “Life is not easy, you can see it yourself, no good accommodation because many people are packed in one house. We have barely anything to eat and our children are just wandering because we cannot afford to put them in school,” he said. “Our greatest concern is how the landlords are treating us. On a short delay, they would evict us from their houses. Just recently one of us was forced to send his wives to their parents because he could not pay his house rent of N50, 000 and the landlord was harsh on him.
He further disclosed that the society was treating them badly, “They are treating us with contempt. They would not allow our sons to even work as laborers for them and where they are allowed, they are paid differently. For example, if they are paying other laborers N1000, they would pay our people N600. There was a day when three of our boys worked in a block industry from morning till evening, but at the end of the day, they were all given only N400. This is too bad for a society that is predominantly Muslim and we as their brothers that were inflicted with such a calamity are being treated like this.”
The IDPs, about 70, including women and children, said they would not yet return to where they came from because it’s still not safe. They noted that what they need is capital to start businesses and get assistance to pay rent. With these, they can stay in Kano to rebuild their lives.
“Since I came to Kano, I have been trying to start a business but I cannot because I don’t have the capital. If I get N3,000 to start a business, in two days it would finish because I have to feed myself and my family,” said Yahya saidu. He added that their main occupation before the Boko Haram insurgency was fishing and farming, and though peace had been restored, the area where they used to fish and farm was still not safe. “That is the more reason why we are still languishing here in Kano,” he said.
Fatima Modu said: “We go out to look for such menial jobs as washing plates and cleaning houses and at the end of the day we receive food. To get that also is not easy.”