Traders under the Nasarawa State Traders and Marketers Association on Monday protested the alleged encroachment on a government-owned parcel of land near the newly constructed Lafia flyover in Lafia, calling on authorities to intervene.

The association said the land, formerly occupied by traders before it was acquired by the Nasarawa State Government for development purposes, had recently been demarcated and excavated by unidentified individuals suspected of attempting illegal allocations.

Speaking during the protest, the association’s chairman, Turaki Gamji, said the activity was first noticed on Sunday and continued into Monday morning, prompting traders to alert government officials.

According to him, the individuals involved had begun dividing and allocating portions of the land to unknown persons despite the property remaining under government control.

Gamji noted that officials from the state Ministry of Lands, including the commissioner and senior directors, visited the site and denied authorising any private development on the land.

He explained that the property holds historical importance for the traders’ community, whose ancestors occupied the area for more than 200 years before relocating after government acquisition for investment-related projects.

The chairman warned members of the public to avoid purchasing land in the area without proper verification, cautioning that fraudulent allocations could result in financial losses.

He added that the association would continue monitoring the site to ensure the land is preserved for the development projects originally planned by the state government.