Cleric Advocates Documentation, Legal Protection of Ancestral Lands as a Remedy Against Land-grabbing
Our reporter
“I propose that all individuals, families, and communities urgently document their ancestral lands and, wherever possible, process Certificates of Occupancy (C of Os) or other recognised land titles to secure ownership legally. Likewise, Churches must prioritise the documentation and registration of all Church lands, both those already developed and those intended for future mission expansion.”
Above were the words of the COCIN President, Rev. Dr. Amos Mohzo, while addressing delegates at the opening of the ongoing 107th General Church Council meeting of the Church in Jos.
He cautioned that failure to document these lands leaves the owners vulnerable to illegal claims, takeovers and prolonged legal battles that may not favour the original inhabitants, especially where proof of ownership is absent.
The cleric stated that given the increasing insecurity and land-grabbing threats posed by “terrorist incursions in various parts of the country, marked by killings, displacements, and unlawful occupation of ancestral lands, it is time to urgently and strategically respond as a people and as a church.”
Rev. Mohzo further recommended tree planting, perimeter fencing, visible signposts on church and communal lands as some of the “physical markers” that could serve not only as deterrents but as “visual confirmations of long-term presence and ownership.”
“Let the church lead by example. Let us not be reactive, but proactive in land security. What we fail to document and defend today may be lost to future generations,” he stressed.
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