The Catholic community in Kaduna State has warned prospective property buyers against entering into transactions involving a disputed parcel of land behind Government Girls Secondary School (WTC), along Independence Way, Kaduna, amid allegations that the Girl Guides Association, Kaduna State chapter, is attempting to sell the property.
The dispute raises concerns over potential financial losses for unsuspecting buyers, the validity of land ownership documents and the legal risks associated with property transactions involving contested titles.
In a statement jointly signed by Kenneth Ibrahim, chairman, and Mrs Olivia Samuel, secretary, of Concerned Catholic Brethren, Kaduna, the group alleged that the Girl Guides Association had procured ownership documents and processed a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) over land it claimed belonged to the Catholic Church.
The disputed property includes Mother Gregory Hall, located adjacent to the Catholic priests’ cemetery, behind the former Women Teachers College (WTC), along Independence Way.
The group maintained that the entire stretch of land from Masaba Road, where the priests’ burial ground is situated, to the Police College Roundabout originally belonged to the Catholic Church, which established and operated the former Our Lady of Apostles Teachers College for Women.
According to the statement, the government took over the institution in the early 1970s and later renamed it Women Teachers College.
After the takeover, the government allocated parts of the original property to the Police Training School, while the local government took control of the primary school section.
However, the Catholic community said the Church retained ownership of the remaining portions, including the priests’ cemetery, Our Lady Primary School, Sacred Heart Primary School and Mother Gregory Hall.
It explained that the Church initially operated a school on the disputed portion but discontinued its activities when the priests’ burial ground became full and required expansion.
Mother Gregory Hall was subsequently made available to voluntary organisations, including the Scouts, Man O’ War and Girl Guides, for training activities for more than 30 years without payment.
The group said the arrangement was intended to provide space for community and voluntary activities and did not amount to a transfer of ownership or confer proprietary rights on the organisations using the facility.
“To our surprise, early this year, we discovered that the Girl Guides allegedly procured documents and processed a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) through the previous administration,” the statement said.
The Catholic community questioned the legal basis for the association’s alleged ownership claim, arguing that it had no original title document, deed of assignment or evidence of purchase from the Church.
It further alleged that individuals claiming to represent the association had been advertising the property for sale, removing signposts at night and asserting that they possessed a valid Certificate of Occupancy.
The group warned that any prospective purchaser who proceeds with a transaction without independently establishing the property’s ownership status could face financial and legal complications.
It therefore advised members of the public not to engage in any transaction involving the disputed land or make payments to individuals claiming to represent the Girl Guides Association in connection with its sale.
The statement also clarified that the Girl Guides Association is not an organisation under the Catholic Church, insisting that the disputed property remains the Church’s possession.
The Catholic community urged anyone seeking clarification on the ownership of the land to contact the Church’s leadership in Kaduna before undertaking any transaction.
Efforts to obtain the reaction of the Girl Guides Association, Kaduna State chapter, and Mrs Kantiok, a prominent member of the Kaduna Girls Guides, were unsuccessful as of press time.
The allegations, including the circumstances surrounding the reported processing