By HOSEA NYAMLONG
The Plateau State House of Assembly on Tuesday passed for first reading a bill seeking to prohibit the use of buildings for serious criminal activities and provide for the forfeiture or demolition of such property upon conviction by a court of competent jurisdiction.
The proposed legislation is titled A Bill for a Law to Prohibit the Use of Buildings for Serious Criminal Activities and to Provide for the Forfeiture or Demolition of Such Buildings in Plateau State and for Related Matters.
The bill was sponsored by Eli Ankala and co-sponsored by the Speaker, Naanlong Gapyil, Joseph Gokum, Abel Nimchak and Mathew Kwarpo.
It seeks to deter the use of residential, commercial and other buildings for crimes including ritual killings, kidnapping, unlawful detention, human trafficking, cult-related killings, terrorism and mob violence resulting in death or grievous bodily harm.
Under the proposed law, where a court of competent jurisdiction finds that a building was knowingly used to commit such offences, it may order the forfeiture, sealing, demolition or any other appropriate action on the property, depending on the circumstances of the case.
The bill, however, protects innocent property owners by providing that no building shall be demolished solely because a crime was committed there unless the court is satisfied that the owner knowingly permitted, participated in, or repeatedly allowed the property to be used for criminal activities.
It further states that where a property owner proves that reasonable steps were taken to prevent the unlawful use of the premises, the court may impose other lawful sanctions instead of demolition.
The proposed legislation also encourages landlords to properly identify prospective tenants, maintain accurate tenancy records, report suspected criminal activities to law enforcement agencies and cooperate with investigations.
If enacted, the law will empower the governor to make regulations for its implementation and will apply to all residential, commercial, industrial and other buildings across Plateau State.
Meanwhile, the House also received the report on A Bill for a Law to Provide for the Establishment, Development and Regulation of Health Management Information Systems, Disease and Geomatic Banking in Plateau State and for Other Related Matters, 2025.
The report was presented by the Chairman of the House Committee on Health, Yakubu Sanda.