From Our Correspondent
In its effort to resolve the decades-long land dispute between Bayero University Kano (BUK) and residents of Rimin Zakara, the Kano State Government has commenced a rigorous verification and compensation process, deploying the Department of State Services (DSS) and biometric technology to ensure only genuine claimants receive payment.
The exercise, which entered its fifth day on Saturday and is being conducted even on weekends, has so far seen over 500 people present themselves for initial validation at the Ministry of Land and Physical Planning. However, State Commissioner for Land and Physical Planning, Abduljabbar Muhammad Umar, disclosed that only about 80 claimants have successfully cleared the critical DSS screening stage, which involves biometric data capture and National Identification Number (NIN) verification.
Kano Youths Commend Gov. Yusuf’s Land Allocation, Appreciate Deputy Garo’s Facilitation
Speaking during the ongoing verification exercise, Commissioner Umar explained that the two-stage process is designed to prevent the manipulations that previously plagued the compensation effort. The first stage involves document validation at the ministry, while the second requires claimants to report to the DSS for further authentication of their identities and claims.
“As you can see, today is Saturday, but officials of the ministry have still come out to verify these people whom the government has confirmed as beneficiaries of compensation,” Umar said. “After completing these two stages, we will be able to pay the person his compensation. There was manipulation in the past, and that was one of the reasons the process was suspended. Anyone we find attempting to engage in fraudulent activities will be arrested.”
The commissioner urged all genuine claimants to come forward for verification, assuring them that the ministry and the DSS are working together to protect the rights of legitimate beneficiaries. He noted that while more than 200 people had been verified at the first stage since the exercise began on Wednesday, fewer than 70 of those who presented themselves to the DSS on Friday had completed the second stage.
Umar further explained that the government intervened in the dispute because much of the land in question originally belonged to Bayero University Kano, with some individuals having acquired portions through informal sales by intermediaries. He said some residents were victims who purchased land without knowing the ownership complications, while others had acquired plots as investments.
The commissioner also disclosed that some traditional landowners have legitimate claims because the university had not, in some cases, provided sufficient evidence that compensation had been paid to their ancestors. He stressed that it would not be fair to simply displace them now, particularly because appropriate action was not taken at the time.
Beneficiaries who qualify for compensation will receive official government documentation confirming their ownership, unlike the informal papers previously used in land transactions. The government also plans to establish new boundaries for BUK’s land and return areas falling within its legitimate territory to the institution.
Speaking on behalf of residents, Aminu Hashimu commended the Kano State Government for the verification and compensation process, noting that some people whose original plots were valued at less than N200,000 are now receiving alternative plots worth close to N2 million.
“There is nothing we can tell the governor other than to thank him. The process introduced by the government will help prevent land fraud, especially through the use of fingerprints,” Hashimu said.
He appealed to the government to extend the biometric land registration system across the state so that every landowner could have a verifiable record of ownership.
