JUST-IN: 200 Land Racketeers Jailed In Adamawa

No fewer than 200 land racketeers, including staff of the Ministry of Land and Survey, have been remanded in various correctional centres across Adamawa State.

The State Commissioner for Land and Survey, Chief Joab Shama, disclosed this while reviewing the ministry’s activities with journalists in Yola.

Shama, who commended Governor Ahmadu Fintiri for his support, said the government’s intervention has effectively curbed the fraudulent activities of land speculators who often issued duplicate documents to unsuspecting individuals.

According to him, before his assumption of office, a single plot of land within the metropolitan area was sometimes allocated to as many as four different people, each armed with “authentic” documents.

“This caused endless litigations, with courts restraining one party or another from developing the same plot. I had to personally mediate in several cases, urging the parties involved to resolve their disputes out of court, which they agreed to,” he explained.

The commissioner lamented that some ministry staff were complicit, colluding with outsiders to fuel land conflicts for personal gain.

On land allocations so far, Shama revealed that over one million plots have been allocated, including to retired and serving military generals from the state. He said the gesture reflects the government’s commitment to ensuring that citizens who have served Nigeria in various capacities have land to settle on.

He further assured residents whose lands were revoked or caught up in disputes to remain patient, noting that government is making arrangements to reallocate them plots in convenient and conflict-free areas... .Learn More While You Read Full Article. . .