The Kano State Government has announced the revocation of all land allocations made within the premises and officially demarcated boundaries of public schools, hospitals and other critical public institutions, declaring a renewed crackdown on land grabbers, illegal developers and fraudulent land dealers across the state.
The Commissioner for Land and Physical Planning, Alhaji Abduljabbar Muhammad Umar Garko, announced the decision during an inspection of Government Girls College (WTC), Kano, following complaints by the school’s management over alleged land encroachment and repeated trespassing into the female students’ hostel.
The visit, which was accompanied by the Chairman of the Kano State Task Force Committee on Illegal Structures, Dr. Dalhatu Aliyu Sani, and other senior government officials, took the delegation around the school’s perimeter to inspect houses and other structures alleged to have been erected on land belonging to the college.
During the inspection, the commissioner ordered the demolition of one of the buildings, alleging that construction on the property continued despite an earlier directive by the executive Governor of Kano state Abba Kabir Yusuf to halt the project.
Abduljabbar said the state government had resolved to reclaim all public lands illegally allocated or occupied, stressing that lands reserved for schools, hospitals and other strategic public institutions must remain available for their original purposes.
He declared that all allocations made within the premises or officially demarcated lands belonging to public schools, hospitals and similar institutions had been revoked.
According to him, the decision forms part of the government’s determination to protect public infrastructure, preserve educational and healthcare facilities and restore sanity to land administration across Kano State.
The commissioner also declared what he described as a total war against land grabbers and land thieves, warning that the administration would identify every individual or group involved in illegal land allocations, encroachment and fraudulent land transactions.
He said those found culpable would be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
“Our determination is to recover public lands and ensure that those involved in illegal allocations and land grabbing are brought to justice,” he said.
Garko maintained that the present administration would not tolerate the conversion of public property into private assets through unlawful means, adding that the Ministry of Land and Physical Planning would continue working with security agencies and other relevant institutions to recover illegally occupied lands.
He also urged members of the public, property developers, businessmen and prospective land buyers to always verify land documents with the Ministry of Land and Physical Planning before purchasing any property to avoid becoming victims of fraud.
According to him, the ministry remains the only legitimate authority empowered to authenticate land titles and ownership records in Kano State.
Also speaking during the inspection, the Chairman of the Kano State Task Force Committee on Illegal Structures, Dr. Dalhatu Aliyu Sani, directed officials to mark all structures allegedly erected on Government Girls College WTC land as illegal.
He ordered owners and developers of the affected properties to appear before the committee at the Kano Geographic Information System (KANGIS) with all relevant title documents, approvals and allocation papers for verification before carrying out any further construction or development.
Dr. Dalhatu warned that failure to comply with the directive would attract appropriate sanctions under the law.
The task force chairman disclosed that the committee had already sealed more than 300 illegal structures across Kano metropolis as part of the government’s campaign to enforce physical planning regulations.
According to him, the enforcement exercise covered major roads and corridors, including Maiduguri Road, Western Bypass, Eastern Bypass, Ahmadu Bello Way, Gwarzo Road and other strategic locations where illegal developments were found to violate planning regulations.
He said the exercise would continue until all illegal structures erected on road setbacks, public lands, waterways and other restricted areas were addressed.
The Principal of Government Girls College WTC Kano, Hajiya Uwani Ahmed Balarabe, commended Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and the Commissioner for Land and Physical Planning for responding to the school’s complaints.
She expressed optimism that the visit would result in decisive government action to protect the school’s land and safeguard the welfare of students.
The principal also appealed to all relevant stakeholders, including security agencies and government institutions, to urgently address the persistent illegal trespassing into the female students’ hostel, describing it as a serious security concern requiring immediate intervention.
She said protecting the school environment was essential to ensuring the safety of students and preserving the institution’s learning atmosphere.
The latest actions by the Kano State Government come amid intensified efforts to sanitise land administration, recover public assets and enforce physical planning regulations as part of broader reforms aimed at curbing land grabbing, illegal developments and fraudulent land transactions across the state.