The Borno State Government has begun a community sensitisation campaign on land documentation and proper land use, warning that any structure built in violation of the state’s land administration laws will be demolished.
The exercise, which started on Monday at Pompommari Bypass in Maiduguri, brought together officials from the Borno Geographic Information Service (BOGIS), the Urban Planning and Regional Development Board, as well as community leaders and residents.
Speaking to journalists after the event, the General Manager of the Urban Planning and Regional Development Board, Liman Mustapha, said the campaign aims to educate the public on proper land management and documentation.
“We had a very interactive session with residents and stakeholders. We discovered that many people have land documents, but they haven’t transferred them to their names,” Mustapha said.
He explained that anyone holding a Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O) not in their name must seek the governor’s consent before using the property. “If a land was allocated for residential purposes and you want to convert it for another use, you must seek approval from BOGIS,” he added.
Mustapha warned that any building found to be violating land laws will be corrected, and where correction is not possible, such structures will be demolished.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of BOGIS, Adam Bababe, expressed concern that many landowners have failed to update their documents after buying properties.
“We have discovered that most people buy land or houses but never update the documents to reflect their names. In some cases, the land has passed through several owners, and the papers still bear the name of the original owner,” he said.
Bababe also noted that many people change the use of their land without approval, such as using residential plots for commercial purposes and vice versa.
“All these irregularities must be corrected. If people fail to regularise their documents, they risk losing their properties,” he warned.
Some participants at the sensitisation exercise praised the state government for the initiative, saying it would help reduce land disputes.
One of them, Muhammad Salisu, said, “This programme is timely. It will help prevent land conflicts and ensure peace in communities. I urge the government to extend this campaign to all parts of the state so everyone can be informed.”
