Outrage As Kwara State Revenue Officials Allegedly Evict Students From Malete Hostels, Lock Buildings Over Tax Dispute
Some of the affected students who spoke to SaharaReporters said they were left homeless after the officials allegedly stormed their hostels, ordered them out and locked the buildings.
Officials of the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS) have evicted students from privately rented hostels in Malete, Moro Local Government Area of the state, and locked up the buildings over an alleged revenue default.
It was gathered that several students living in the affected hostels were forced out of their accommodation despite having reportedly paid between N250,000 and N350,000 for their yearly rent.
Some of the affected students who spoke to the press said they were left homeless after the officials allegedly stormed their hostels, ordered them out and locked the buildings.
The students said they were not responsible for the alleged revenue dispute between the hostel owners and the state government and questioned why they should be punished for it after paying for their accommodation.
A video obtained by this medium showed an apparent confrontation between some residents and officials who were reportedly enforcing the action.
In the video, one of the residents questioned the officials over the fate of the students after the hostel was locked.
“Now where do you want the student to sleep?” the concerned resident asked.
Another man was heard responding: “She should sleep at her friend’s place.”
The resident then challenged the response, asking: “For the house she paid for?”
The resident further argued that the officials had no right to lock the property and eject the students without following due process.
“That is not right, not right. You have to bring a court order to lock the house. We are not duly served. You did not serve us any letter. Show us in your regulations and guidelines that you can lock the hostel and chase the students outside,” the resident said.
An official seen in the video, apparently responding to the resistance from the residents, said the officials were not intimidated by the confrontation.
“We have faced people that are more than and bigger than this. We were sent on an errand. You can’t scare us,” the official said.
The development has sparked outrage among residents and students, with affected students describing the action as unjust and a serious threat to their welfare.
One of the students who spoke to SaharaReporters said the development had suddenly left students with nowhere to stay despite paying substantial sums for accommodation.
“We paid between N250,000 and N350,000 for these hostels. We are students and we are not the ones owing the government anything. Now they have chased us out and locked the place. Where are we supposed to sleep?” the student said.
Another affected student said the government should have pursued the hostel owners over any outstanding revenue rather than punishing tenants who had already paid for their accommodation.
“We have paid our rent. If there is a problem between the government and the hostel owner, why are students being thrown out? We are not part of whatever revenue issue they are talking about,” the student said.
The students also expressed concern that they could not afford to immediately secure alternative accommodation, particularly after spending hundreds of thousands of naira on their current hostels.
“This is not something we planned for. We came here to study, paid for accommodation and suddenly we were told to leave. Some of us don't have anywhere else to go,” another student said.
The incident has raised questions over the legality and propriety of locking privately occupied residential buildings and ejecting tenants in the course of revenue enforcement.
Residents seen in the video also questioned whether the officials had served the affected occupants with any notice or obtained a court order before locking the property.
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Another man was heard responding: “She should sleep at her friend’s place.”
The resident then challenged the response, asking: “For the house she paid for?”
The resident further argued that the officials had no right to lock the property and eject the students without following due process.
“That is not right, not right. You have to bring a court order to lock the house. We are not duly served. You did not serve us any letter. Show us in your regulations and guidelines that you can lock the hostel and chase the students outside,” the resident said.
An official seen in the video, apparently responding to the resistance from the residents, said the officials were not intimidated by the confrontation.
“We have faced people that are more than and bigger than this. We were sent on an errand. You can’t scare us,” the official said.
The development has sparked outrage among residents and students, with affected students describing the action as unjust and a serious threat to their welfare.
One of the students who spoke to SaharaReporters said the development had suddenly left students with nowhere to stay despite paying substantial sums for accommodation.
“We paid between N250,000 and N350,000 for these hostels. We are students and we are not the ones owing the government anything. Now they have chased us out and locked the place. Where are we supposed to sleep?” the student said.
Another affected student said the government should have pursued the hostel owners over any outstanding revenue rather than punishing tenants who had already paid for their accommodation.
“We have paid our rent. If there is a problem between the government and the hostel owner, why are students being thrown out? We are not part of whatever revenue issue they are talking about,” the student said.
The students also expressed concern that they could not afford to immediately secure alternative accommodation, particularly after spending hundreds of thousands of naira on their current hostels.
“This is not something we planned for. We came here to study, paid for accommodation and suddenly we were told to leave. Some of us don't have anywhere else to go,” another student said.
The incident has raised questions over the legality and propriety of locking privately occupied residential buildings and ejecting tenants in the course of revenue enforcement.
Residents seen in the video also questioned whether the officials had served the affected occupants with any notice or obtained a court order before locking the property.
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