Land doesn’t belong to governors – Top lawyer slams Nasarawa governor’s claim
On Wednesday, May 7, top legal expert Dr. Monday Ubani, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), strongly criticized Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State for saying that “all lands belong to the state.”
Ubani said the governor’s statement was a misunderstanding of the law—especially the Land Use Act, which governs land ownership in Nigeria.
“The governor appears to misinterpret his role under the law,” Ubani explained. “He is only a trustee, not a landowner.”
He clarified that under the Land Use Act, state governors manage land on behalf of the people, but that doesn’t mean they own the land or can ignore the rights of people living on it—especially those with lawful or customary claims.
Ubani backed up his argument by referring to a 1984 Supreme Court case (Nkwocha v. Governor of Anambra State), where the court ruled that the Land Use Act recognizes and protects the rights of people already occupying land.
“The law was never meant to allow governors to take land from communities without fair reason or due process,” he added.
Ubani warned that any attempt to force people off their ancestral lands would be both unjust and illegal.
He also reminded all public officials that the law requires them to act responsibly and fairly, especially when dealing with something as sensitive as land ownership.
