By AUSTIN OWOICHO, Abuja.
Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura of Nasarawa state has express worry
over reports of alleged involvement of security agents and judicial
officers as land speculators and grabbers that constitute into a
syndicate in the Karu local government of the state.
A statement Signed by Ahmed Tukur Special Assistant Media and
Publicity to the Governor said that Al-makura expresses concern on
Wednesday in Lafia while receiving the report of the task-force on the
verification of land titles and demolition of illegal structures in
the greater Karu area.
The statement said that Governor Al-makura promised that government
will ensure the immediate prosecution of all those identified as land
speculators and grabbers in the report to serve as deterrent to
others.
He assured of the full implementation of the report of the task-force
saying that all illegal structures would be demolished in line the
master plan.
He added that all government lands stolen by speculator would be
reclaimed, while encroachment into government land would be properly
addressed.
He also explained that government would soon start the
re-certification of all land titles in the state to check activities
of the speculators saying that most of the documents being paraded by
the speculators were fake.
He decried at the level the syndicate operates and those behind them
saying that their activity has created so much impunity in the system
to the extent that individuals now engage them for settlement for fear
of losing their legitimate plots of land.
“This cabal have become so powerful that overnight they can dispose
individuals of their land”.
Al-Makura said government would table a complain before the state
chief judge on the need to caution judicial officers to desist from
giving frivolous injunctions that would abet the activities of the
speculators..
Earlier, chairman of the Task -Force, Mr. Yusuf Shehu-Usman, the state
Attorney General and commissioner for Justice while presenting the
reports said that they were able to identify 85 land speculators and
their details.
Shehu-Usman said part of the recommendation of his committee was for
government to constitute a special standing task-force comprising the
technical ministries, agencies and departments and security outfits to
check the activities of the syndicates.