Land Dispute: Court Stops Nasarawa Govt From Arresting Tiv Farmers
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja Wednesday stopped Nasarawa State government and security agencies from further arresting the Tiv farmers in the Obi and Awe Local Government Areas of the state over a disputed 10,000 hectares of land allegedly belonging to nine communities in the area.
The Nasarawa State Government had mapped out the land which is located in the Agwatashi and Jangwa areas in the both LGAs for a proposed Agriculture programme where Rice, Sesame and Corn would be planted to boost food security in the state.
In a judgement delivered by Justice Peter Lifu in response to a fundamental rights motion ex parte, marked FHC/CS/ABJ/1044/2024, filed by Sambo Vongjen Esq on behalf of his client, Felix Upav who is a representative of the affected communities, the court urged the state government and security agencies to allow for the conclusion of the matter before using any form of force on the people of the area on issues concerning the disputed land.
the Nigerian Army, the Inspector General of Police, the Commissioner of Police, Nasarawa State command, the Executive Governor of Nasarawa State, and the Nasarawa State Commissioner for Agriculture were listed as respondents in the matter.
This development follows a recent announcement by the Nasarawa State government that work had commenced in some parts of the 10,000 hectares of land in line with the federal government’s food security initiatives.
Reacting to the ruling on Wednesday, the representative of the communities, Felix Upav expressed dismay that the Nasarawa state government had desired to compulsorily acquire his farmlands and that of the nine Tiv communities, totaling about 10,000 hectares in the Obi and Awe LGAs.
He stated that members of the communities had issued a communique on May 24, 2024, after meeting with the governor, detailing how the agricultural initiative would adversely affect them.
He argued that the government’s action was intended at displacing him and the other Tiv farmers without remedy, alleging that the land was the only source of livelihood for the Tiv communities in the area.
While narrating that the said 10,000 hectares of land comprised of 6,000 hectares under Obi LGA while 4,000 hectares was under Awe LGA, Upav mentioned the affected communities to include Akala, Utsuwa, Udugh, Usula, Ayarkeke, Shamkodu, China, Angwan Anthony and Ikyochiha.
He decried the wanton destruction of their cultivated farmlands and crops by the state government agents under the close supervision of security agencies, lamenting that the compulsory acquisition of the 10,000 hectares of land by the government without proper legislation and a memorandum designed for public acquisition and common good could lead to their (Tiv farmers) extinction and loss of livelihoods.
He further explained that his lawyer, Sambo Vongjen Esq had requested the court to declare that the directive of the state government to compulsorily acquire and take over the farmlands measuring about 10,000 hectares, without compensation and without alternative sources of livelihoods was a violation to their freedom from discrimination, and right to acquire and own immovable properties anywhere in Nigeria.
“The residents of the nine communities are mainly peasant farmers who rely solely on these 10,000 hectares of land. I am worried because if our farmlands are taken away from us, we may not be able to survive the harsh economic realities of the country.
“Apart from the series of arrests and intimidations from the security agencies, we (Tiv farmers) had planted rice and other crops on the land which had started growing. But suddenly, some people went there with tractors and started turning over our farms.
“We are peace-loving people and law abiding citizens of the country. But because the 10,000 hectares of land is our only means of livelihood, we are appealing that the agricultural programme should be done somewhere else,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule had claimed that the 10,000 hectares of land belongs to the state government, and warned against any form of encroachment on the land.
Speaking recently on the proposed agricultural programme, Sule said the essence of acquiring the land was to support the federal government to actualise its motive to ensure food security in the state and Nigeria at large.
He, therefore appealed to the residents of the area to support the initiative of the government, and assured that they would be the biggest beneficiaries of the agricultural programme.
“Please, when we actually clear a piece of land that we believe it is ours, we do not want you to again encroach into that land.
“We will end up employing your own children to come and be workers in that our farm. We are not going to import anybody from anywhere to come and do that.
“It is your own people that will work in those farms and by the time we carryout the harvesting process, it is also your own people that will do the irrigation and harvest,” he said.
