Executive Secretary of BOGIS, Engr. Adam Bukar Bababe
By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
Borno Geographic Information Service (BOGIS) has given a three-week deadline to all parties involved in the BOSA/178 layout dispute to resolve land claims, or face necessary government action, as stated in a resolution reached during a stakeholders meeting convened by BOGIS on Wednesday.
The resolution is aimed at addressed the lingering controversy surrounding the layout, located adjacent to the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army.
Speaking during the meeting, the Executive Secretary of BOGIS, Engr. Adam Bukar Bababe, explained that the BOSA/178 layout was initially designated as a light industrial zone in 1979.
However, due to limited industrial development and increasing demand for housing, the government redesignated the area as residential in 1999 and allocated plots to deserving individuals.
Bababe disclosed that the agency has, over the past two years, been engaging all concerned stakeholders, including original allottees, current occupants, traditional title claimants, community leaders, and representatives to resolve persistent disputes arising from illegal sales, multiple claims, and informal developments.
“Today’s meeting marks the final phase of our stakeholder engagement. We have given all affected parties a three-week window to finalize internal settlements and complete documentation.
“After this period, government will do the needful in line with applicable laws,” Bababe was quoted as saying in a statement issued and signed on Thursday by his media aide, Haleema Abatcha.
He added that the government had previously won a 2016 court ruling affirming its ownership of the layout after being sued in 2013 by certain claimants, stressing that the agency’s renewed efforts are aimed at bringing lasting resolution to the matter.
The BOGIS boss further announced a house-to-house assessment will soon commence to verify both statutory and customary titles, after which final approvals and development planning will proceed in accordance with Borno State’s urban planning regulations.
BOGIS Systematic Land Titling Coordinator, Babagana Hassan, who gave a detailed historical account of the BOSA/178 layout, emphasized that the agency’s current intervention is a vital step toward restoring legal order and urged all parties to recognize it as an opportunity to secure legitimate land ownership through proper documentation and lawful processes.
Some of the parties interviewed described the agency’s efforts as a genuine step toward restoring legal order, and assured they would cooperate with the upcoming house-to-house verification and work toward settling all outstanding issues within the three-week deadline.
