By: Mukhtat Yahaya Shehu
Kano State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting public institutions and restoring sanity in land administration by reclaiming all government-owned lands allocated to schools, hospitals and other public establishments across the State.
The state Commissioner for Land and Physical Planning Alhaji Abduljabbar Muhammad Umar announced this during an inspection visit to the side belongs to Government Girls secondary School Goron Dutse,Kano Formally known as Women Teachers college WTC as encoroached by Land Grabbers.
The Commissioner said the visit was undertaken on the directive from Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, after reports emerged that some individuals had illegally entered the school premises and commenced the demarcation of plots for private residential development.
According to him, the Governor immediately directed the Ministry of Land and Physical Planning to halt all activities on the site and investigate the circumstances under which the alleged claimants acquired the plots.
The commissioner pointed out that preliminary findings showed that nearly 100 plots had already been carved out within the premises of the College with the intention of converting them into private residential houses.
Alhaji Abduljabbar Muhammad Umar described the development as a serious threat to the state’s education sector, stressing that government would not tolerate any attempt to illegally appropriate public property meant for educational purposes.
The Commissioner warned that any individual or developer who ignores government directives would face appropriate legal sanctions, noting that the ministry would ensure strict enforcement of all relevant laws to serve as a deterrent to others.
Alhaji Abduljabbar Muhammad Umar also announced that, effective August 3, 2026, all lands belonging to schools, hospitals and other government institutions across Kano State have officially reverted to the control and management of the Ministry of Land and Physical Planning on behalf of the Kano State Government.
The Commissioner stated that the government has consequently placed a total ban on the subdivision, allocation or conversion of lands belonging to schools, hospitals and other state-owned properties anywhere in Kano State.
He called on residents across the state’s 44 Local Government Areas to support the government’s efforts by promptly reporting any cases of illegal encroachment, land grabbing or unauthorized development through appropriate government and media channels.
In his remarks, the state chairman taskforce committee on Illegal structures also Director General KANGIS Dr. Dalhatu Sani reassured the commitment of present administration to make Kano mega City in the country.
Speaking earlier , the Principal of the College, Uwani Ahmad Balarabe, expressed appreciation to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and the Commissioner for their swift intervention.
The Principal described the encroachment as painful and unprecedented, recalling that during her more than three decades of service at the college, the institution had always enjoyed a peaceful and conducive learning environment.
She lamented that illegal encroachment had gradually consumed a significant portion of the school’s land, thereby threatening its future development.
The Principal recalled that, about 32 years ago while she was a student at the college, the school were in well conducive atmosphere before those people converted some of land to illegal structures.
