A human right organization, Prison Inmate Development Initiative (PIDI) Nigeria has petitioned the caretaker committee Chairman of Itas Gadau local government of Bauchi state to desist from trespassing or tempering with residential 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 Iliya Sabka dated 1st May, 2020.
Sabka noted that his organization received a complaint on 15th March, 2020 from Gizere of Itas Gadau local government, represented by Ali Usman, Musa Ya’u and Samaila Maigari.
The letter said, “on 8th April, 2020 or thereabout, the community saw some people from Itas Gadau local government, led by the deputy caretaker committee chairman, Alhaji Sule Babayo, intruded and started clearing part of dajin Gizere (a.k.a Dajin Ajulu) with an intention to sell it to some rich men.
The human right organization explained that a 3-man Committee set up by the two communities went to the house of the deputy Chairman to know the reason behind actions and pleaded with them not to raise any agitation, promising to compensate them with 4 plots of land but they disagreed.
Angered by their stand, Sabka alleged that the deputy chairman threatened to use Policemen and other security personnel to evict the two communities, threatening to seize the land and personally use it or even sell some parts to whoever he wishes.
According to PIDI, the deputy chairman made real his threat on the helpless community on 15th April 2020 when he led some well armed military personnel to the area, claiming to have been acting under the instruction of the Caretaker Committee Chairman to supervise the partitioning of the said community land into portion and handover same to land dealers.
The right organization 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.
Recall that Governor Bala Mohammed had some months back suspended the three caretaker committee chairmen of Ningi, Darazo and Kirfi local government areas over high-handedness, among other offences.
The right group alleged that the chairman has been allocating lands to individuals and organization worth various sums of money and using same for personal gain.
PIDI Nigeria said they have information from reliable source that said local government chairman is boastful that his actions are backed by the deputy governor of the state, threatening the community that no one can safe them.
Sabka observed that if the situation is not timely checked, it might degenerate to a communal clash in the area.
In a reply to one of the petitions, the chairman insisted that his act was in line with the land use act chapter 202, laws of the federation of Nigeria 1990.
