Plateau Recovers Over 60 Buildings, Vehicles, Equipment from Looters

By Margaret Abah

The Plateau State Government has recovered more than 60 public assets, including buildings, construction equipment and vehicles, in an ongoing effort to reclaim properties allegedly diverted or illegally occupied across the state.

Chairman of the Task Force on Recovery of Government Properties, retired General Nash Yakubu, disclosed this while presenting an interim report to the Chief of Staff to the state government, Jerry Satmak, in Jos.

An aide to Governor Caleb Mutfwang, Precious Yohanna, also confirmed the development, noting that the recovery exercise is still ongoing and yielding results.

“So far, over sixty properties, including buildings, have been recovered by the task force, and more are being identified,” the aide said.

Presenting the report, Yakubu stated that the task force, which has operated for over a year, has made significant progress in retrieving government-owned assets across the state.

“We have recovered over 60 buildings, in addition to construction equipment and vehicles,” he said. “Items that could not be transported to Jos were secured at various local government headquarters, while those recovered within the Jos metropolis have been moved to a central holding facility.”

He added that the exercise is ongoing, stressing that new recoveries continue to reveal additional cases of diverted assets.

“The more we recover, the more we uncover. Plateau citizens have been highly cooperative in this effort,” Yakubu noted.

The chairman explained that the task force adopted a “see something, say something” approach to encourage public participation, including the use of dedicated telephone lines and an official email address for tips. Regular television briefings are also held to engage residents and gather useful information.

Receiving the report, Satmak commended the task force for its diligence and commitment, assuring members of continued government support to enable them to fully achieve their mandate.

He reaffirmed the administration’s resolve to recover all public assets and ensure they are properly utilised for the benefit of the people.

Other officials present at the briefing included the Commissioner for Works, Joshua Ubandoma Laven; Commissioner for Lands, Peter Nyam Gai; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Keziah Ishaya Dung; and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works, Solomon Abiri Kadiya.