The Rivers State Government has denied demolishing any mosque in Port Harcourt, the state capital describing as false reports making the rounds that it demolished a mosque in Port Harcourt.
Addressing journalists at the location on Biambo Street, Off School Road by Mami Market Junction, near Rainbow Estate on Monday, the state Governor, Nyesom Wike said the report was unfortunate and must have been planted by mischief makers to create disaffection.
He said there was no Mosque on ground at the place, hence nothing was demolished. An online version of a national newspaper in its Monday 26, August edition reported that Rivers State demolished the Rainbow Town Central Mosque located at the Trans-Amadi area of the state capital.
It reported that leaders of the Muslim community in Port Harcourt had condemned the action of the state government in demolishing the mosque.
According to the report, Chairman of the mosque, Alhaji Abdullahi Musa Tabaco, claimed that the mosque was demolished on August 20 by officials of the state government.
He said the officials, who came with armed policemen, pulled down the fence and the foundation of the mosque which had gone up to DPC level, citing non-compliance with the state urban development laws.
Tabaco said: “We bought the land about four plots from one Chief Amadi in 2008 and approval was given for the building in 2009. In 2010, we started putting up pillars and fencing of the land; while the foundation of the mosque was laid in 2010. The first demolition was carried out by (former Governor) Amaechi on the 5th of February, 2010 and this resulted in litigation between Chief Amadi and Rivers State Government” “On November 2, 2017, a judgement was delivered in favour of Chief Amadi. Rivers State did not appeal the judgement and we started another round of construction of the building in 2018.”
He appealed to the state government to allow them to use the property for worship, noting that “the mosque is the only worship centre in the whole of Trans Amadi area where more than 4,000 worshippers worship every Friday.”
Also speaking the leader of the Hausa community in the state, Alhaji Musa Saidu, condemned the demolition of the mosque. The imam of the mosque, Alhaji Haroon Muhammed, said: “This is the most populated mosque. Muslims all over the world can see what has happened to a mosque that is duly approved by the state government. We have been harassed three times now – once on the 29th of last month, then on August 16 and 20 without any formal notice”.
But speaking at the site of the AAC alleged demolition, the governor said: “I received calls from several prominent Nigerians on the fake news being circulated online. I have come here with reporters and you can see there was no mosque here. “It is most unfortunate that fickle-minded persons will claim that a mosque was demolished at this place when no mosque existed here. The story was concocted by mischief makers to score cheap points”.
Wike explained that some persons started erecting illegal foundation at the disputed land, even though they had no approval to embark on any construction work.
“They came here to erect illegal structure. There was no approval from the State Government for any structure to be erected here.
“The persons who started the foundation had already dragged the State Government to court on the disputed land. The Rivers State Government won the case. What they attempted to do was to start the illegal construction to tie the hands of the State Government”, he said.
The Governor urged the Muslim Community in Rivers State to show him where a mosque was demolished in the state and advised them not to allow themselves to be used by politicians to peddle false stories against the Rivers State Government.
He said that the State Government operates within the rule of law adding would not be distracted by the illegal circulation of fake reports.
He stated that several mosques constructed on the approval of the State Government exist across Port Harcourt and other major towns of Rivers State, without the State Government demolishing them.
“The government gave them notice not to do anything on the land. But they went ahead with the illegal foundation and the relevant agency stopped them.
“Why would we want to bring down any mosque, when there are other mosques across the state? What is the Special interest on this one?