Kano State Government has directed that no house, property or land should be rented out or sold to any individual or group without prior due reference to and clearance by the district head or his accredited representatives.

In a press statement on Friday, Musa Tanko Muhammad, the Press Secretary to the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Usman Alhaji, said the directives were part of the government’s effort to safeguard the lives and property of the people of Kano.

He said the directives were necessary in order to sustain military operations against bandits and other criminal elements in many parts of the country.

He explained that the move was in line with the commitment of the federal government to end insurgency and banditry in some parts of the country, as the operations may compel criminal elements to look for safe havens in other neighbouring states, including Kano State.

He said, “Government has directed that no house, property or land should be rented out or sold to any individual or group without prior due reference to and clearance by the District Head or his accredited representative.

“This directive is a sequel to the sustained military operations against bandits and other criminal elements in many parts of the country in line with the commitment of the Federal Government to end insurgency and banditry in some parts of the country, thereby compelling these criminal elements to reportedly look for safe havens in other neighbouring states, including Kano State.”

The statement strongly advised land agents to comply with the government’s directive, adding that non-compliance would be construed as deliberate and calculated connivance and collaboration with criminal elements to subvert the prevailing peace and security in the state.