Hundreds of protesters including women and children on Tuesday stormed the Kaduna State Council secretariat to protest Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s plan to demolish their houses. The angered protesters who cried profusely and uncontrollably, said they were issued three weeks notices to vacate their houses, out of which a week has already elapsed. Leader of the protesters, Mallam Usman Aliyu while addressing newsmen in Kaduna yesterday said that over 300 of their houses have been marked for demolition in the next two weeks by the Kaduna State Urban Planning Development Authority, KASUPDA. The houses, he said are located behind the state library, Kofan Doka in Zaria local government area of the state, stressing that there were some of the houses marked for demolition that were built over 20 years before the state library was built. According to him, the state government should temper justice with mercy, adding that they voted for change and not demolition or making them poorer than they are. Also speaking amidst tears, Hajiya Aisha Abdullahi said, “walahi, we regret voting for this government because of a truth, we voted for change but this is not the change we voted for. We are poor people and now our pains are about to be increased as we are about to be made homeless and thrown into the cold with our children.” Lamenting also, Hajiya Habiba Usman in an apparent frustration said, “We want the governor to look at us with the eye of mercy, we have lived all our lives there and we cannot afford to rent any house or purchase any land because of our ‎ present condition, so we are appealing to the government to come to our aid.” Some of the placards carried by the protesters reads: “we voted for change not demolition,” “don’t make us homeless,” “end forceful eviction,” “we are dying of poverty don’t make our condition worst,” among several others. The protesters who converged at the NUJ secretariat in fully loaded vehicle complained bitterly that their pains and poverty are about to ‎be aggravated should the state government go ahead with the planned demolition. It would be recalled, that the state government has reiterated its commitment to recover all the school and hospital lands acquired by individuals or organizations. - See more at: http://nigerianpilot.com/angry-kaduna-residents-protest-el-rufais-demolition-exercise/#sthash.Yz5Gs0wd.dpuf