200 land racketeers jailed in Adamawa
By Mohd Ismail
No fewer than 200 land racketeers including staff of the Adamawa State Ministry of Land and Survey, have been remanded in various correctional centres across the state for their involvement in fraudulent land dealings.
The disclosure was made by the Commissioner for Land and Survey, Chief Joab Sama, while briefing members of the correspondents’ chapel in Yola who paid him a courtesy call at the ministry.
According to Sama, the clampdown on land speculators was made possible through the support and political will of Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, whose administration has prioritized reforms in land administration to curb fraud and restore public confidence.
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“Before my assumption of office, cases of multiple allocations were rampant. In some instances, a single plot of land within the metropolitan area was allocated to as many as four different people, each parading documents that appeared authentic. This created endless litigations, with courts restraining one party or another from developing the same plot,” the commissioner explained.
He noted that the fraudulent practice was often enabled by insiders within the ministry who colluded with external actors to exploit unsuspecting buyers.
The crackdown, he said, has not only brought sanity to land administration but also served as a deterrent to those seeking to undermine due process for personal gains.
Sama revealed that in many cases, he had to personally intervene to mediate disputes between conflicting parties, urging them to settle amicably out of court.
“Thankfully, most parties agreed to such settlements once the fraudulent practices were exposed,” he added.
Providing an update on genuine land allocations, the commissioner disclosed that over one thousand plots of land have been distributed under the current administration.
Among the beneficiaries are retired and serving military generals from Adamawa State, reflecting what he described as government’s commitment to rewarding citizens who have served Nigeria with dedication.
He further assured residents whose plots were revoked or entangled in disputes that government is working to reallocate them in conflict-free areas.
“Our priority is to ensure every deserving citizen has access to land ownership without unnecessary stress or litigation,” Sama said.
The commissioner reaffirmed the ministry’s determination to sustain the reforms, stressing that land racketeering would no longer be tolerated in Adamawa State.
