2 hours ago
1
Benue State Government, through the Benue Investment and Property Company Limited (BIPC), has intensified efforts to reclaim state-owned lands allegedly acquired through questionable means by private individuals and organisations across the state.
One of the notable recoveries is the famous Yaman Park, a 7,000-square-metre recreational space situated in Wurukum, Makurdi, estimated to be worth around N100 million.
Authorities noted that the park had in recent years become a den for illicit activities. Two additional parcels of land located around Tse-Ayu on George Akume Way in Makurdi were also taken back.
Addressing newsmen on Wednesday, the Group Managing Director of BIPC, Dr. Raymond Asemakaha, who supervised the recovery mission issued a stern warning that the organisation would not hesitate to clamp down on anyone unlawfully holding or underutilizing government-owned property.
“We are going to clamp down hard on individuals and organizations holding government assets that are not performing.
These are public assets meant to create jobs and generate revenue for the people of Benue State,” Asemakaha said.
He clarified that BIPC’s mandate is backed by Edict 10 of 1995, which empowers the company to oversee all state properties and investments to ensure they deliver value.
Speaking on one of the recovered lands along George Akume Way, Asemakaha revealed that the one-hectare property was originally bought on November 2, 2016.
However, an internal audit launched when he took office uncovered troubling discrepancies surrounding the deal.
“We discovered that BIPC made a proxy investment which yielded no return. During our investigation, we traced the funds used for the purchase to a closed account that had to be reopened.
The money was eventually traced to this land, and we have now recovered it,” he stated.
He added that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had stepped into the case after it was discovered that certain individuals attempted to secretly dispose of the property.
“EFCC is already on the case to foreclose the transaction. We had to move in quickly because they were trying to sell the land,” he said.
Asemakaha further noted that another plaza on the same stretch, purchased on October 20, 2016, was also tied to suspicious dealings allegedly involving some financial institutions.
Sending a strong message to potential buyers, the BIPC boss cautioned that any attempt to acquire the reclaimed lands would be entirely at the buyer’s risk.
“Anyone intending to buy these lands does so at his or her own peril. The properties belong to the Benue State Government, BIPC, and the people of Benue. We have valid title documents, including Certificate of Occupancy,” he stressed.
He also revealed that several other government properties currently under lease are being scrutinized, especially those obtained by past political office holders through what he described as “systematic manipulation,” without any clear plan or capacity to develop the lands.
“If you are holding government assets and they are not performing, we will take them back. You cannot hold our assets in pretence and go home to sleep while the state suffers,” Asemakaha warned.
Describing the ongoing recovery operation as the beginning of a broader clean-up, he assured that more retrievals would follow.
“This is just the tip of the iceberg. There are many more government assets we are going to recover in the overriding interest of the Benue people,” he declared.
Although he anticipates possible lawsuits, Asemakaha appealed to legal practitioners to prioritize the welfare of the state. “We may face litigation, but I appeal to lawyers to put the overriding interest of Benue state above self-interest,” he said.
Benue govt begins recovery of fraudulently acquired state lands
