The Kebbi State Government and former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, have exchanged accusations over the demolition of a property along Sani Abacha Bypass in Birnin Kebbi, with both sides giving conflicting accounts of the incident.

While the state government insists the demolition resulted from a private land ownership dispute and denies any involvement, Malami’s camp alleges that political opponents destroyed the property to intimidate the opposition and provoke unrest ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Commissioner for Information and Culture, Yakubu Ahmed-BK, stated the government’s position on Monday while addressing journalists, insisting that Governor Nasir Idris’s administration neither authorised nor participated in the demolition.

“The state government had neither authorised nor participated in the exercise, which arose from a private land ownership dispute between individuals,” he said.

Ahmed-BK accused the African Democratic Congress (ADC) of politicising the incident to portray the state government as hostile to opposition parties, arguing that there was no credible evidence linking the administration to the destruction of the building.

He explained that the demolition attracted public attention after residents discovered earth-moving equipment pulling down the property, with videos of the exercise subsequently circulating on social media.

According to the commissioner, preliminary investigations and documents presented by a businessman, Umaru Gulumbe, suggested that the controversy centred on competing claims of ownership.

He said Gulumbe presented a Certificate of Occupancy bearing the signature of former Kebbi State Governor, Adamu Aliero, alongside records of complaints previously lodged with the police and the Ministry of Lands and Housing.

Ahmed-BK added that relevant committees had examined the competing claims, while Gulumbe maintained that the property belonged to him.

He challenged anyone disputing the ownership to seek legal redress rather than accuse the state government of political persecution.

“Anyone who has a contrary claim to the ownership of that property should go to court and establish his claim. The government cannot be dragged into a private dispute simply because some people want to give it a political colouration,” he said.

However, Malami, who is the ADC governorship candidate in Kebbi State, has petitioned the state Commissioner of Police over the demolition.

The property, located within a commercial layout along Sani Abacha Road, reportedly housed the Malami Pressure Group, a political support organisation.

In a statement on Tuesday, the ADC Director of Strategic Media, Research and Policy Analysis, Abubakar Abdullahi, said Malami was shocked by what he described as an act of lawlessness.

The party alleged that political opponents carried out the demolition to provoke Malami and his supporters into taking actions that could threaten peace and stability in the state.

It further described the incident as an attempt to intimidate the opposition and create political tension ahead of the 2027 general elections.

According to the statement, Malami has directed his lawyers to pursue legal action, establish ownership of the property and seek compensation for the destruction.

“Barrister Malami is shocked by this brazen act of lawlessness. The intention, apparently, is to provoke him and his supporters into taking actions that could threaten the peace and stability of Kebbi State,” the statement said.

The ADC appealed to its members and supporters to remain calm and law-abiding, insisting that the party would pursue justice through legal channels.

“We appeal to all our members and supporters to remain calm, peaceful and law-abiding. We will not be intimidated, neither will we abandon the path of justice and the rule of law,” it added.

Meanwhile, Ahmed-BK urged the opposition party to stop politicising the incident and concentrate on verifiable issues of governance, public policy and development.

He also called on the ADC and those responsible for circulating the allegations to clarify their claims, retract statements established to be false and apologise to the state government.

The commissioner warned that the government reserved the right to seek legal redress to protect its institutional integrity and reputation if the allegations remained unaddressed.

He reaffirmed the Idris administration’s commitment to the rule of law and peaceful coexistence, regardless of residents’ political affiliations.