The Kogi State Government has commenced documentation of land title holders in Lokoja to determine cases of illegal property development and encroachment on access roads in layouts within the capital city.

The Bureau of Lands and the Town Planning and Development Board, in a joint operation on Thursday, began the exercise at TPS 33 layout opposite CBN along Zone 8 – House of Assembly Road in Lokoja.

Speaking on the operation, the Director General, Bureau of Lands, Kehinde Augustine Salihu-Otaru, alleged that TPS 33 new layout was bedevilled by encroachment on access roads and illegal occupiers, with several people laying claim to the same land title.

“The Kogi State Government has established serious cases of land encroachment on access roads, illegal land title holders and property development on TPS 33 layout in Lokoja.

“The government has ordered that any property on access roads be destroyed or removed to restore the layout to its original design.

“All land title holders, occupiers and developers in TPS 33 layout have been directed to report with their approved land documents for profiling immediately,” he said.

Salihu-Otaru added that the government is out to sanitise the layout to its original plan, stressing that any occupier without required legal papers would have his property removed.

Similarly, the General Manager, Kogi State Town Planning and Development Board, Abdullahi Yusuf, said the joint operation is to restore the new layout to its original design which has been distorted by illegal occupiers.

“The legitimate land owners in this TPS 33 layout have not been able to access their land because of the activities of illegal developers. This exercise is to sanitise the layout and allow lawful title owners to access their land.

“The state government cannot fold its hands and watch illegal title holders and property developers encroach on access roads at the early stage of development of the new layout without taking serious measures to correct it,” Yusuf said.

A property owner in the layout, Chief Frank Ogbehe, commended the government for the exercise, saying, it would sanitise activities in the developing layout.

“The exercise is good as it brings confidence to property owners. It will open up the original and expose fake owners of land title in the new layout. Several people might have bought land from illegal owners,” Ogbehe said.

The state government stressed that the exercise is continuous until all layouts conform to their original designs and the original title owners occupy their plots. (Daily Trust)