Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Matthew Hassan Kukah, has accused state governors across Nigeria of abusing their constitutional powers over land to dispossess communities, deepen environmental degradation, and undermine social justice, warning that such practices threaten peace, moral authority, and national cohesion.

He spoke in Lagos on Friday while delivering the 24th Chief S.L. Edu Memorial Lecture organised by the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) with the theme: “To Have and To Hold: Faith and Care of the Environment.”

The lecture was in memory of Late Chief Shafi Lawal Edu, a renowned businessman, environmentalist and conservationist.

Speaking on faith, governance and environmental justice, Kukah said the Land Use Act, originally designed to hold land in trust for the common good of Nigerians, has instead become a tool for arbitrary acquisition and displacement, often benefiting political elites and private interests at the expense of ordinary citizens.

He lamented that despite all efforts of the government, Nigerians are not doing well in caring for the environment.

According to him, the excessive concentration of land control in the hands of governors has weakened traditional land systems, marginalised smallholder farmers and left communities powerless when their ancestral lands are taken without consultation or adequate compensation.

He said, “The Land Use Act which has placed all responsibilities for land in the hands of state governors is a grave mistake. This has produced many distortions and blurred the lines of duty and responsibilities between the states, communities and the federal government over land and mineral resources.

“Governors have taken their power over land as a license and as such, displacement of communities by land acquisition, often for cronies or businessmen and women, generates community conflicts where ordinary people feel totally powerless.

“The Act, intended to unify diverse customary land systems, instead created a system where land access depends heavily on bureaucratic approval rather than traditional occupancy, often marginalising the poorest land users.” (Weekend Trust)

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