By Titus Mangut

The pervasive menace of some people encroaching on developed and undeveloped government Lands in Nasarawa state has become source of concerned to the ministry of Lands and Urban Development.

The ministry has intensified efforts towards addressing the incessant encroachment on land belonging to state government. One of the step taken by the ministry was to produced and aired series of jungle on the state own and private broadcast media to caution people against encroaching on government lands and the consequences of such act.

According to the ministry government lands that compensation had already been paid to the dispossessed landowners base on the existing laws, people should stop encroaching on it because measures have been taken to reclaim all government lands anywhere in the state.

The ministry also had a dialogue meeting with tippers owners association (Lafia north Development area branch) whose activities have destroyed government lands in the area, they trespass on the undeveloped land to excavate laterite or sand there by causing land degradation .

At the end of the meeting a press statement was issued to caution the association members in the state on the illegal activities on government’s lands, government lands according to the statement are for the future development as such no individuals or groups have the right to temper with .

The ministry further explained that efforts are on top gear to reestablish government lands boundaries and dialogue with communities where government lands are located to curb the activities of lands grappers and set up a monitoring committee to regularly inspect the boundaries in other to curb further unlawful encroachment on government lands.

Similar warning was issued in 2019 after the governor visited some encroached lands in the state. However, people seems to ignored the warnings, they have continue to take over lands and critically government infrastructure.

Recall in 2012 a six man fact findings committee was constituted to ascertain the level encroachment on government lands and property, the committee after completing it’s field work in keffi , Akwanga, karu and Lafia local government areas, it discovered that over one thousand lands and properties of the state government where found to have been encroached upon.

Areas identified by the committee include Government reserved areas (GRA), schools, hospital, market and other areas designated for government use or land banks.

If the committee set up in 2013 discovered over one thousand lands and property of the state government were found to have been encroached upon, ten years down the line the rate of encroachment no doubt is overwhelming now, this is because Nasarawa state is the closest to and has the largest border Area with federal capital Authority Abuja , with fastest growing town in Nigeria like Mararba, Masaka, Karu and others, these areas witness high level of commercial activities and it’s home to most civil servants working in FCT.

Based on this and other reasons the quest for building houses is on the increase in the state and any undeveloped lands and properties around these areas people take advantage of it’s aboundonment and encroach on . In local government areas considered as Urban areas all lands at (GRAs)have been taken over illigaly . For example the abundoned Akwanga general hospital built by Shagari Administration, the whole land have been sold to individuals and buildings have spring up in the place, it will be difficult to reclaim the land. However government can compel people to document and have title of such lands doing that will generate huge revenue for government.

The challenge in curbing encroachment is enormous, the problems are gigantic, but the ministry resolve to tackle it is unwavering.