The protracted land dispute between the Federal College of Education Technical (FCET), Potiskum, and residents of Potiskum Local Government Area of Yobe State has continued to generate tension, as affected landowners lament what they describe as gross under-compensation and neglect of due process.

The dispute concerns lands located in Mazaga area of Jigawa District in Potiskum, which the College has begun developing for new facilities. According to community members, the institution began construction without fair compensation or proper consultation, despite holding decades-long ownership backed by original documents.

One of the affected landowners, Mallam Abdullahi Mohammed, said he has owned land in the disputed area for over forty years.

According to him, despite repeated assurances from the Yobe State Government that the Federal College would compensate residents, what many have received is a token sum, with no proper valuation conducted.

“I owned the land for over forty years,” he said. “It is not one or two plots, these are vast areas that we inherited from our forefathers and have continued to occupy legally. We have all the original documents, but when the Federal College of Education came in, they did not honour any of it. They started building on our land without formal engagement.”

“We took the matter to the Secretary to the Yobe State Government, Baba Mallam Wali. He told us clearly that FCE Potiskum was instructed to compensate us. They ignored that directive. Later, we reached out to Brekete Family in Abuja, a human rights media platform, and again, the Yobe State Government reaffirmed that compensation must be paid. Yet what did we get? They started giving people N20,000, N14,000, some even N3,000 for lands that are worth over N1 million.”

“This is an insult. We were not consulted. No valuer came to inspect the land. No surveyor did any assessment. They just gave us peanuts and began construction. We want justice.”

Another landowner, Yunana Abare, said the process followed by FCE Potiskum was not only unlawful but violates the basic rights of citizens.

“We are not against development,” he stated. “We welcome the idea of expanding educational facilities in our community. But it must be done the right way. What happened here is land grabbing, pure and simple.”

“I was given N12,000. That land is worth nothing less than N1.5 million in today’s market. I rejected it, but they still went ahead to deposit the money and proceed with construction.”

“They are already building staff quarters and administrative blocks. The question is: on what legal basis? This is not Federal Government land. We are the legal owners, and they have not even met with us officially. No meeting, no document exchange, nothing.”

“What may surprise you is that the institution used to visit the land sites accompanied by military personnel. At times, you could count more than ten police vehicles whenever construction was ongoing. So, why the fear if they truly believe the land belongs to them? They should simply compensate us and put an end to all this drama.”

Another affected person, Nuhu Idriss Mohammed, described how the College allegedly took advantage of the community’s peaceful disposition.

“They knew we would not cause violence, so they simply ignored us,” he said. “They thought we would remain silent forever. At first, we kept calm because we thought this would be resolved administratively. We were wrong.”

“All we have received are crumbs—N5,000 here, N3,000 there. Yet they have deployed bulldozers, engineers, contractors. Is this how the Federal Government wants to treat law-abiding citizens?”

“We are not asking for charity. We are asking for what is rightfully ours. Let them do proper land valuation. Let them compensate us accordingly. If they fail, we may be forced to seek legal redress.”

A community elder, Adamu Wuje, said the situation is generating resentment within the community.

“It is not just about money,” he stated. “It is about transparency and respect. You cannot enter people’s land and start construction without engaging them. Even the law does not support such action.”

“Some people received N14,000, others N3,000. What does that even mean? You are constructing a multi-billion naira facility and cannot pay proper compensation to the people who sacrificed their ancestral lands? That is unacceptable.”

“We want the College to sit with us, bring government valuers, and treat everyone fairly. Let them follow the law. This is how peace is maintained.”

For Tori Abubakar Dadango, the situation is more than a land dispute—it is a test of how institutions respect community rights.

“I was born in this community,” he said. “My parents were among those who first settled here. Now, the same government that should protect us is allowing an institution to take over our land without due process.”

“We have made several attempts to engage with FCE Potiskum. They refused to respond. The state government keeps promising, but there is no action. They started compensating people in secret, without public documentation.”

“If the Federal Government wants to use our land, let them pay us what it is worth. We are not enemies of progress. But this situation cannot continue.”

Efforts to get an official response from the management of the Federal College of Education, Potiskum, were unsuccessful. Several calls and messages to the Public Relations Unit of the institution were not returned as of the time of filing this report.

However, a source within the Yobe State Ministry of Land and Housing, who asked not to be named, said the government had indeed directed the College to compensate the landowners, but was unsure why the directive was not being followed.

“There was a letter from the SSG’s office advising that compensation be paid. I believe the College made some disbursements, but the amounts are clearly inadequate,” the source said.