The Alumni Association of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, has appealed for the immediate intervention of President Bola Tinubu to halt what it described as an “illegal and criminal” attempt by the Niger State Government to take control of the university’s Bosso campus.
National President of the Alumni Association, Professor Shola Gabriel Solomon, and the National Secretary, Dr Samuel Medayese, who jointly addressed journalists on Tuesday in Abuja, rejected the state government’s claim of a lease arrangement, describing it as a “deliberate and mischievous mischaracterization” of historical facts. They insisted that the Federal Government paid full compensation for the land in 1982, thereby making it a permanent federal property.
The association was reacting to an order from the administration of Governor Mohammed Umar Bago, which reportedly directed the university to vacate the campus by December 1, 2025, or face “unpleasant consequences.” The state government maintains that the institution’s use of the land was based on a 40-year lease agreement that has now lapsed.
“We are challenging the Niger State Governor to produce the document that suggests there was a 40-year lease agreement,” the association stated, adding: “The sum of N2,800,000.00 was paid to the Niger State Government as full and adequate compensation for the property. This transaction was a completed commercial and legal act—not a temporary loan or a lease.”
According to the alumni body, the facilities currently situated on the Bosso campus — including specialized research centres, staff housing and laboratories — are estimated to be worth more than N7 trillion.
They accused officials of the state government of committing “criminal trespass” after agents of the administration allegedly entered the campus last Thursday to “verbally partition” the land.
“The government is threatening our Vice-Chancellor over an asset that does not belong to it. This is an existential threat to the university. Over N7 trillion in structures would be affected. We are not even saying the university is up for sale; it is a thriving academic city built with federal funds over four decades,” the former students stated.
The association also claimed that the state government has already taken over 9.2 hectares of land at the university’s permanent site in Gidan Kwano. However, it said its immediate priority remains the defence of the Bosso campus, which currently accommodates more than 1,500 students and several academic departments.
To escalate the dispute, the alumni confirmed that they have submitted a petition to the Federal Government through the Minister of Education.
They called on President Tinubu, in his capacity as Visitor to the university, to caution Governor Bago in order to prevent a situation that could provoke reactions from the institution’s more than 40,000 students.
The Alumni added that the university is open to institutional collaboration, staying that; “The Governor is under pressure because we learned the medical students in the State University in Lapai have no space. We are not against institutional collaboration, but if the Governor wants help, let him do it the right way instead of resorting to political brinkmanship and lawlessness.”
Reaffirming their determination to safeguard the university’s assets, the association said it is prepared to pursue the matter up to the Supreme Court.
They warned that if a state government is permitted to unilaterally remove a federal institution from its property, federal assets across the country would become vulnerable.
“The law is on our side, history is on our side, and justice will prevail. The Governor will have to contend with the Alumni Association and over 40,000 students of the university,” the association added.
