Bauchi State Ministry of Land and Survey, on Monday, embarked on massive sensitization of communities on the importance of title registration to put an end to land disputes in the state.

Malam Adamu Harif, Chairman, Sensitisation Committee on Systematic Land Title Registration, led the committee on an enlightenment drive to Tirwun, Birshi Seyawa, and Birshi Fulani communities in Bauchi Local Government on land title registration.

According to Harif, the best way to end land disputes in the state is through registration of land titles with the ministry.

He said that most land conflicts in the state were caused by non-registration of land.

Reporters gathered that the ministry is currently handling no fewer than 100 court cases on land disputes in the state.

The committee chairman said that if land and house owners register their property with the ministry, their data would be captured on the database and they would be issued with Certificates of Occupancy (C of O).

`Registering with the ministry will help landowners to obtain titles for their lands and prevent it against trespassers.

“It will also enable authorities to know the number of people who own plots or houses so that policies, programs, and interventions would be effectively and efficiently implemented in communities,’’ he said.

Harif explained that if land vendors consulted the ministry before allocating plots to buyers, it would help in ensuring good town planning.

Responding, the Village Head of Tirwun, Alhaji Ahmed Muhammed, commended the ministry for the enlightenment.

Muhammed urged his people to cooperate with the ministry by registering their lands.

He promised to mobilize land sellers and buyers in the community to always contact the ministry before any land transaction.

At the end of the sensitization exercise, Mr. Adamu Ahmed, the Commissioner for Land and Survey, told newsmen, that the ministry had been dealing with over 100 court cases on land disputes.

Ahmed associated the disputes and court cases to non-possession of proof of ownership on land.

He added that there were multiples claims over land.

The commissioner said that land titles would go a long way in reducing land disputes by ensuring that people secure titles for their lands.

“There are lots of values when people hold titles to their lands.

“There are issues of security, at least you can go to bed knowing you are holding a paper that confirms ownership of your land.

“Since I came on board, we have been dealing with almost 120 court cases.

“It is all because people do not have proof of ownership of land, so we have multiples of claims over land.

The commissioner explained that one of the objectives of issuing land titles is to reduce those contentious issues by ensuring that people have secured titles to their lands.