Group petitions LG boss in Bauchi over trespass

Human right organization, Prison Inmate Development Initiative (PIDI) Nigeria has petitioned the caretaker committee Chairman of Itas Gadau Local Government of Bauchi state, accusing him of trespassing and tampering with residential plots and farmlands belonging to the people of Gizere community.

This was contained in a copy of the petition made available to our correspondent on Thursday in Bauchi by the Executive Director of the human right organization, Mbami Sabka.

Sabka noted that his organisation received a complaint on March 15, from the representatives of the Fulani community and people of Gizere, Ali Usman, Musa Ya’u and Samaila Maigari.

The petition alleged that “on April 8, the community saw some people from Itas Gadau Local Government led by the caretaker committee Deputy Chairman, Alhaji Sule Babayo, clearing parts of Dajin Gizere (a.k.a Dajin Ajulu) with an intention to sell the said portions.

The human right organisation explained that a 3-man committee set up by the two communities lodged a complaint to the deputy chairman regarding the tresspass.

It added that the deputy chhairman pleaded with the delegation not to make any trouble, promising to compensate them with four plots of land, an offer the delegation rejected.

Angered by the delegation’s stand, Sabka alleged that the deputy chairman threatened to use the police and other security personnel to evict the two communities, threatening to seize the land and personally use it or sell some parts to whoever he wishes.

According to PIDI, the deputy chairman made real his threat on the helpless community on April 15, when he led some armed military personnel to the area, claiming to be acting under the instruction of the local government caretaker committee chairman to supervise the partitioning of the said community land into portions and handover same to land dealers.

The rights organisation observed that the act of the local government chairman is capable of truncating the new level and people oriented agenda of Governor Bala Mohammed of the state if not checked.

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It would be recalled that Governor Bala Mohammed had some months back suspended three caretaker committee chairmen of Ningi, Darazo and Kirfi Local Government Areas for high-handedness, among other offences.

The right group alleged that the chairman has been allocating lands to individuals and organisation, collecting various sums of money from the allottees and using same for personal gain.

PIDI Nigeria said they have information from reliable sources that said the local government chairman is boastful that his actions are backed by the deputy governor of the state.

Sabka observed that if the situation is not timely checked, it might degenerate to a communal clash in the area.

Replying to one of the petitions by the community, the chairman insisted that his action was in line with chapter 202 of the Land Use Act, 1990.