Government must halt demolitions and forced evictions 

Many states in Northern Nigeria, particularly Kano and Kaduna as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), have experienced numerous demolitions of people’s homes, shops, and buildings. The respective governments must stop this act and devise strategies to prevent citizens’ loss of lives and displacement.

The killing of four people during the demolition of land and houses in Kano state is very disheartening and worrisome. It is an indication that the government must learn a lesson from it. Unfortunately, this is not the first time people have lost their lives over demolition crises. Every day, the situation of land ownership is worsening and becoming more complex.

In 2023, just an hour before the former Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai, handed over to the current Governor Uba Sani, four people were reportedly killed and many injured during a demolition exercise on May 30, 2023, in Gbayi Villa, Chikun local government area of the state.

The government must take action and implement a policy to stop citizens from obtaining land through illegal processes, thereby avoiding falling into the hands of estate agents scams. No responsible government should be comfortable, satisfied, or appreciative when the lives of its citizens are lost over land crises.

Whenever demolitions of property are carried out by the government, I ask myself these questions: Why is it that every government demolishes people’s properties? Why do those responsible for overseeing government properties allow houses to be built before taking action?

Government at federal, state, and local levels must take decisive action by implementing land policies that allow only the government to issue land or property titles. This will no doubt help prevent people from owning properties that do not belong to them.

It is now the government’s responsibility to properly address land crises to avoid further occurrences. To achieve this, the government and traditional rulers must collaborate to achieve this goal. All agencies of government responsible for land ownership must wake up by recruiting uniformed staff in the Ministry of Land at state and federal levels to keep inspecting the land owned by the government and ensure that people do not buy or use government land.

These staff will inspect and monitor all government-owned land, ensuring that any illegal land development is identified and addressed before completion. Traditional rulers, such as ward heads, village heads, and district heads, must also be involved in the policy-making process. This will ensure that no land is sold or allocated in their communities without government approval.

Strict rules must be adhered to, requiring both sellers and buyers of land to register with government offices and obtain permission before any transaction. However, in states where people illegally build houses, those who sold and issued them certificates of ownership should be investigated and made to face the law. This will serve as a warning to others who want to engage in such illegal activities.

All real estate agents in every Local government area must properly register with the Ministry of Land and Urban Development in the state before participating in estate and land business activities.

Advisably, the government must also utilise the mass media, such as radio, television, newspapers and the social media platforms, to educate the public about the consequences of obtaining land illegally.

Furthermore, the government should provide compensation to those who have fallen victim to real estate agents to reduce the loss of millions of naira and provide alternative solutions instead of forceful eviction.