Retired Civil Servant Takes Shelter Under Tree After Eviction

Mrs Hajara Yusuf, a retired civil servant from the Borno Civil Service, has taken shelter under a tree after she was evicted from an apartment sold to her while in service.

Yusuf, 58, told newsmen yesterday in Maiduguri that she was forcefully evicted from the apartment located at No 1 Shehu Laminu way, Maiduguri, by some police officers.

“We were still sleeping when some police officers came to inform me that they had been ordered by the Maiduguri Rent Tribunal to evict us from the house.

“They broke the doors and eventually threw all our belongings outside before taking possession of the house,” she said.

Yusuf who retired from the Borno Ministry of Sports, last year, explained that she bought the apartment in 2003 when government quarters were sold to civil servants.

“I started living in the house in 1996 when it was allocated to me on rent by the state government. I lived in the house till 2003 when it was sold to me at N820,000, during the sale of government quarters.

“But sad enough, some weeks later, a man called Bakura Deribe came to the house and started insulting me over the ownership of the house,” she said.

Yusuf said she decided to go to court to stop the harassment.

“The court realised that the papers presented during the case were entirely different while mine read N0. 1 Shehu Lamino Way, the other read N 1a Shehu Lamino way and so the case was dismissed.

“But the man initiated another case at the Rant Tribunal and I sensed trouble so I went to the High Court to stop proceedings against the tribunal,” she said.

Yusuf said the case was still pending before the court when she was issued an eviction order on Wednesday and evicted on Thursday.

However, Malam Zanna Laisu, the Secretary of the Borno Emirate Council, described the claim as untrue.

Laisu said that the house was sold to Yusuf in error as it belonged to the Emirate Council.

“The house originally belonged to the Borno Native Authority before it was hired to the state government.

“But along the line it was sold to the lady in error. We have tried various avenues to let her see reason and quit but she refused,” he said.

Laisu said as a responsible organisation the Council decided to go to court and follow due process before evicting her.