Ukorebi Esien | August 6, 2026
CALABAR – The University of Cross River State (UNICROSS) has stepped up efforts to recover portions of its land allegedly taken over by encroachers, launching a joint boundary verification exercise with the Cross River State Office of the Surveyor General in what appears to be the institution's most decisive move yet to safeguard its landed assets.
The exercise, led by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Francisca Bassey, and the Surveyor General of Cross River State, Surveyor Patrick Edet Bassey, followed a strategic meeting between the university management and the Surveyor General's office aimed at resolving longstanding boundary concerns and protecting government-owned educational property.
Accompanied by members of the university management, technical survey personnel and campus security officials, the delegation inspected the institution's boundary lines at the Calabar campus, identifying areas affected by encroachment and commencing the technical process of re-establishing the university's legal boundaries.
The inspection revealed several unauthorized developments within the university's property, including private residential buildings under construction, perimeter wall extensions, temporary wooden structures and roadside commercial outlets.
Addressing journalists after the inspection, the Vice Chancellor described the development as a major threat to the institution's expansion plans, insisting that the land in question was legally acquired by the Cross River State Government, with compensation duly paid to the original landowners.
She said the affected portions constitute part of the university's designated expansion corridor and warned that any subsequent occupation or construction on the land amounts to illegal encroachment.
Prof. Bassey reaffirmed the university's resolve to protect its assets through lawful means, stressing that the institution would continue to work with relevant government agencies to restore its boundaries and prevent further loss of public property.
"The land belongs to the university and forms part of our expansion plans. Government fulfilled all legal obligations during its acquisition. Any further occupation or development on the property is unlawful," she stated.
Also speaking, the Surveyor General, Surveyor Patrick Edet Bassey, assured the university that his office would deploy all necessary technical resources to determine the authentic boundaries of the institution.
He explained that survey teams would compare field observations with official survey master plans, cadastral maps and government land records before carrying out detailed cadastral surveys and installing permanent boundary beacons where necessary.
According to him, the exercise is intended to eliminate ambiguities surrounding the university's boundaries and provide an accurate legal basis for protecting the institution's property from further encroachment.
The latest intervention represents another milestone in the university's sustained campaign to reclaim its land.
TDN recalls that Prof. Bassey had earlier sought the intervention of the Efut traditional institution as part of efforts to peacefully resolve the lingering encroachment on the university's property. During a meeting with the Efut Palace, she appealed for the support of traditional rulers in addressing what she described as an increasing security and development challenge confronting the institution.
As previously reported by TDN, the Vice Chancellor disclosed that the university had suffered losses estimated at over ₦300 million through theft and vandalism allegedly linked to activities around the encroached areas. She warned that continued occupation of the university's land not only threatens ongoing development but also undermines future infrastructure expansion and the institution's long-term growth.
The Efut traditional leadership, in response, condemned illegal occupation of the university's land and pledged to support lawful efforts aimed at protecting public assets while promoting peaceful coexistence between the institution and its host communities.
For a university whose physical expansion is central to its academic growth, the successful conclusion of the exercise could prove critical to securing land reserved for future faculties, research centres and other infrastructure projects.
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