By Ahmed Papa Kanu
According to reliable sources from the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Country Planning, the Professional Head and Director of Surveys and Lands, Mr. Tamba S. Dauda, has uncovered a growing number of fraudulent and forged land documents across several key areas in Sierra Leone. These discoveries point to widespread land grabbing by certain well-known individuals and groups who have unlawfully claimed thousands of acres of land, while ordinary citizens continue to struggle to secure even a single town plot. The Ministry’s ongoing investigations have revealed that several land documents presented for ownership claims were either falsified or tampered with, using a “cut-and-paste” approach. These criminal activities have not only created confusion within the land registry system but have also led to numerous land disputes, as legitimate land seekers are being sidelined by fraudulent claims.
Among the areas currently under scrutiny due to these irregularities include: No. 14 Sackville Street, Freetown – Property currently under dispute; Peninsula Circular Road, York Village – 59.7338 acres; Off Peninsula Road, Mama Beach – Plot 1: 20.2482 acres | Plot 2: 7.0212 acres; York Road, Hamilton – 113.8421 acres; Peninsula Road, John Obey – 128.5604 acres; Off Peninsula Road, Gbade Village (Kerry Town) – 94.0966 acres; Off Peninsula Circular Road, Baw Baw – 2.3028 acres; Off Peninsula Road, Tokeh – 105.2131 acres and Nyagba Town, Malambay Area, Koya Waterloo – 1017.8809 acres.
These parcels of land were all tied to questionable documentation, and in some cases, the same property had multiple claimants with conflicting documents. Mr. Dauda emphasized that this type of manipulation is a major contributor to the increasing number of land-related conflicts in the country.
The Ministry of Lands has vowed to continue its investigations and bring all perpetrators to justice. It has also committed to implementing stricter verification processes and digital tracking systems to prevent further forgery and ensure transparency and fairness in land ownership.
As land disputes escalate nationwide, the Ministry calls on the public to remain vigilant, report any suspicious land transactions, and verify ownership through the appropriate legal and governmental channels.
