The Kogi State Government has commenced the payment of financial compensation to shop owners affected by the Januay 15 demolition exercise at Idojie, popularly known as the Sambell area, in Okene Local Government Area.
The government also reaffirmed its commitment to compensating landowners whose properties were acquired for the proposed Zariagi Airport project in Lokoja and the Ajaokuta Free Trade Zone.
The January demolition exercise was originally executed as a security measure to clear suspected criminal hideouts in Okene. However, state authorities later acknowledged that legitimate business owners were affected during the operation.
Presenting the compensation cheques to beneficiaries in Lokoja, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo represented by the Director-General of the Kogi State Bureau of Lands, Kehinde Augustine Salihu-Otaru stated that the funds are intended to help affected traders rebuild their livelihoods.
Salihu Otaru explained that a post-demolition review by the Bureau of Lands identified verified traders whose businesses were inadvertently impacted.
According to him, 23 shop occupants met the eligibility criteria following screening, compensation was distributed on a 70:30 ratio, covering structural damages to the shops and the loss of commercial goods respectively; and beneficiaries had previously received an initial palliatives payment of N350,000 to cushion immediate losses while final valuations were completed.
Speaking on behalf of the traders, Alhaji Aliyu Asuku Bello Sambell expressed appreciation to the state government for addressing their petitions and completing the payment process.
Addressing other pending land acquisitions across the state, Salihu-Otaru disclosed that compensation files for landowners affected by the Zariagi Airport project and the Ajaokuta Free Trade Zone are currently being processed.
He attributed the delay in those payments to the large volume of claimants involved, assuring the public that the administrative frameworks have been finalized.
“We are concurrently managing three major compensation categories: the airport project at Zariagi, the Ajaokuta Free Trade Zone, and the Idoji-Okene demolition exercise, which we have now concluded,” Salihu-Otaru stated.
He assured residents that the state government would maintain transparency throughout the remaining payout exercises for all verified property owners.
