A fresh wave of anger has erupted in Yola after the Adamawa State Government issued a 21-day demolition notice for several multi-billion-naira commercial properties allegedly owned by supporters of former Governor Umar Jibrilla Bindo.

The notice, dated November 1, 2025, was issued by the Adamawa State Urban and Regional Development Board (ASURB). It orders developers and occupants to vacate the buildings within 21 days—without any mention of compensation or alternative arrangements.

The targeted properties, many of them modern commercial complexes, are located along major business corridors including Atiku Abubakar Way, Gimba Road, the Forestry axis, and Hospital Road in Yola. The plots were originally allocated during Bindo’s administration; the former governor is now a prominent figure in the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Shop owners and property developers—many of whom invested hundreds of millions of naira into the buildings—are accusing the Fintiri-led administration of weaponising state agencies to intimidate political opponents. They described the demolition order as “vindictive, reckless, and economically ruinous.”

One major allottee, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal, said the move was clearly aimed at weakening opposition voices.
“Let’s not deceive ourselves; this is happening because we are in the opposition,” he said. “They want to destroy our investments simply to silence us. If this land had been allocated to their supporters, they would be praising them today.”

He added that several of those affected are long-standing business owners now branded as enemies of the government merely because they refused to defect or openly pledge loyalty to the ruling party.

“We built these shops with our sweat. Now they want to erase us economically so we cannot stand politically. It’s painful,” he lamented.

Other developers expressed disbelief at the government’s stance.
“How can a government wake up and ask us to abandon properties we invested our life savings in, just like that?” one distraught shop owner said.
“This is nothing short of political persecution. If these properties belonged to their supporters, this notice would never have been issued.”

Another owner, who took out bank loans to finance his project, voiced fears of financial ruin.
“I owe the bank over ₦20 million because of this building. Now they want to demolish it without even mentioning compensation. What does the government expect me to do?”

A female trader operating in one of the complexes said the demolition threat has plunged families and employees into panic.
“We employ dozens of young people here. What happens to them if these buildings are brought down? These are people’s livelihoods. This is not development—it is destruction.”

With no compensation or resettlement plan announced, affected property owners say the government’s action has created widespread fear and uncertainty, heightening concerns about political intimidation and economic sabotage in the state.