The Borno State Government has issued a warning to property owners to update their Certificates of Occupancy (C-of-O) and other land documents to reflect the correct ownership status or risk demolition or forfeiture of their properties.
The directive was announced during a community sensitisation campaign on land documentation and compliance held on Monday, the 13th of October, 2025, at Pompommari Bypass, Maiduguri.
Representatives from the Borno State Geographic Information Service (BOGIS), the Urban Planning and Regional Development Board, and local community leaders were present at the session.
After the exercise, the General Manager of the Urban Planning and Regional Development Board, Liman Mustapha, explained that the campaign was designed to enlighten residents about the importance of valid land documents and compliance with legal land-use policies.
He noted that several property owners still hold outdated or unregistered land papers that do not reflect current ownership, warning that such papers would not be accepted unless revalidated and endorsed by the governor.
READ ALSO: Ogun Govt Donates N200m to Borno State
“If a land was granted for residential purposes and you now use it for something else without approval, it violates the law. Once such violations are found, if correction isn’t possible, the affected structures will be pulled down,” Mustapha said.
The Executive Secretary of BOGIS, Adam Bababe, also raised concern over the rising number of landowners who fail to regularise ownership after property changes hands.
“We have seen cases where the original owner sold the land to another person, who sold it again, and after several transfers, the current occupants are not legally recognised. They must update their documents to avoid losing the property,” Bababe stated.