…DPO accused of covering up for developers, KADGIS
By Our Correspondent
Tension rose in Ungwan Waziri, Karji community, along Yakowa New Road in Kaduna State, on Friday as over 10 landowners resisted an alleged land-grabbing attempt reportedly orchestrated by the Kaduna State Urban Planning and Development Agency (KASUPDA).
The affected individuals, who had legally acquired large plots of land in the area, confronted labourers allegedly mobilised to fence the land. The confrontation, which occurred on Friday and continued into Saturday, involved landowners—among them retired senior military officers and civilians—who insisted that the land was being unlawfully encroached upon.
Our correspondent, who witnessed the incident, reported that the situation escalated into a face-to-face standoff when the labourers arrived at the site. The landowners, all Christians, regrouped on Saturday with police security operatives, including the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Millennium City Division. The intervention reportedly involved the disclamation of the authority of the Sariki of Ungwan Waziri, further heightening tensions in the community.
Names of notable staff of KASUPDA and the Kaduna Geographic Information Service (KADGIS) were mentioned during interviews with journalists as being allegedly linked to the controversial land dealings.
The Kaduna State Government was also referenced by some stakeholders as being used to legitimise the alleged land encroachment by KASUPDA and KADGIS—an agency mandated to provide sustainable land use planning and administration in accordance with the Land Use Act (CAP 202, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004) and other relevant laws.
Briefing journalists, the leader and spokesperson of the affected landowners, Mr. Kolawale Kayode, said some of the plots were acquired over three years ago during the administration of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai. He noted that all attempts to develop the land had been frustrated by government agencies, which repeatedly instructed them to wait for the issuance of regularisation forms.
Mr. Kayode disclosed that a meeting convened by the Sariki of Ungwan Waziri, Jonathan Waziri, revealed that a KASUPDA official, identified as Sani Idris, was allegedly involved in the matter. According to him, the Sariki claimed to have met Idris in his office over the issue.
“Whenever we want to build, they keep telling us to hold on, that they will bring regularisation forms. This has been happening since the El-Rufai administration. If we build, they threaten to demolish the structures,” he said, pointing to remnants of demolished walls on the site.
He further lamented that even erecting a few blocks to demarcate or secure the land attracted threats of demolition unless permits were obtained.
According to him, he paid about ₦400,000 in total for building permits, processing fees, and penalties—including an additional ₦75,000 penalty for a dwarf wall—through KASUPDA and the Kaduna State Environmental Protection Authority (KEPA). He said he possesses receipts and relevant documents for the payments.
Mr. Kayode stated that all affected landowners have processed their documents and are in possession of Deeds of Assignment and formal letters from KASUPDA.
He explained that he was in Lagos attending to health-related and official engagements when he was informed about the development. On returning to Kaduna, he discovered labourers working on his land and those of other owners in the area.
He added that when the labourers failed to provide clear information about their sponsors, the landowners contacted one another and approached the Sariki of Ungwan Waziri.
Speaking further, Mr. Kayode alleged that the DPO disclosed that a KADGIS official contacted him, questioning why the police were invited without first involving the Sariki on a land matter within his jurisdiction.
He said the Sariki later convened a meeting and informed them that he had visited KASUPDA, where he met Sani Idris. According to the Sariki, Idris claimed the file concerning the land had been forwarded from the government and that there was nothing the agency could do but act on it.
Mr. Kayode, a Kaduna indigene, said he intended to develop the land into a sports and recreational centre for unemployed youths in the area, not a beer parlour as allegedly insinuated by some individuals.
Also speaking, a retired Warrant Officer, Mr. Levinus Christopher, said he used his retirement benefits to purchase two plots of land in the area.
“I joined the Nigerian Army in January 1989 and retired in January 2024. I received my retirement benefits in February 2024 and used them to buy two plots of land here in Ungwan Waziri to develop accommodation,” he said.
He added that he was alerted by an Okada rider that fencing work was ongoing on his land and rushed to the site, only to find workers who could not identify their sponsors.
“From the information we are getting, the land has allegedly been taken by the government and handed over to a developer whose identity we do not know,” he lamented.
A female civil servant and landowner, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said she had twice suffered demolition of her structures by KASUPDA for reasons she said were unclear. She added that she decided to suspend further development despite pressure from friends.
She appealed to Governor Uba Sani to intervene, stressing that the governor might be unaware of the alleged shady land dealings attributed to some officials of KASUPDA and KADGIS.
When contacted, officials of both KASUPDA and KADGIS denied knowledge of any developer fencing land in Ungwan Waziri and requested details of the company or individuals allegedly involved.
Meanwhile, the Sariki of Ungwan Waziri and the DPO of Millennium City Division later met and agreed that all work on the disputed land should be suspended by the unidentified developer pending the conclusion of investigations. However, affected landowners said they remain vigilant against any further encroachment.
