Anaguta Community Raise Alarm over Land Dispute with Hausa-Fulani Community and Mins. of Lands

The Anaguta community of Jos North has raised an alarm over what it calls the deliberate efforts of relevant authorities to take over their lands and pass same to the Hausa-Fulani community.

Speaking to ViewPointNigeria, the village head of Angwan Rogo Baba Musa Gyangga said

“The lands in question were leased from our fore-fathers and earmarked as forest reserves, but as time went on, the forestry department packed up and left. With the vacation of the land by the Forestry Department, our community was shocked to see that the Hausa/Fulani community had taken over the lands and started developing same. This development warranted us (the Anaguta Community) to approach the court demanding interpretation and justice.”

Making a similar contribution, the village head of Bogomo, Baba Auta, the custodian of the traditional stool of the area, expressed sadness over the situation. He explained that “despite a court Judgement in  favour of the land owners (Anaguta), the Hausa-Fulani have continued to develop the lands not minding the law. He reflected that  sometimes during the administration of Da Jonah Jang, bulldozers were mobilized for demolition only for them to disappear overnight, with no action till date”

Speaking to our reporter, the immediate past president of the Anaguta community, blamed the Ministry of lands and survey;

“we have approach the ministry of lands and survey on several occasions on this issue, but to our dismay nothing has been done. We personally wrote to Governor Lalong, but there has been no response or reply from the Governor. More painful for us is the conspiracy in the Ministry of Lands and Survey -some of the Hausa Fulani’s have R of Os for the disputed lands. The question is, who issued that to them?

The Immediate National president pointedly blamed the commissioner of lands and survey, Hon. Festus fwanter for cashing-in on the mess and for further consolidating the illegality and denying rights of the bonafide owners. He stated that the community had on several occasions sought to table the issue to the commissioner but it appears to have fallen on deaf ears.

The Mai Angwa of Ukadum,  Baba Ayaka Adamu Maisaje, speaking on the issue averred that “there is a village called Attajir   (behind  the  mountains along Bauchi  Ring Road) which is home to one of the ancestral shrines of the Anaguta people, but that the land encroachment is now threatening the existence of such an important Anaguta cultural edifice.

In the same vein the National  President of the Buje Youths, Comrade Arabo Julius lent his voice to the raging issue saying “I am calling on the government to respect court order, and to do the needful in respect of this issue before it too late”

The area under review is called Bogomo village, in Zangam District of Jos North local Government Council. This is the area where the university of Jos is located. And as such, ViewPointNigeria sought to get the opinion of Students Union President, Comr. Samson Haruna -speaking, he said:

“The development to me is worrying, because our students have continually suffered as victims in any conflict with the community. He gave the example of the recent IPOB incident where a student was killed needlessly around the area.

Speaking about the general state of cleanliness of the area, he said, if you look at the front of the university permanent site, it has now become a dumping ground for refuse, we tried to clean the area, but they will still throw refuse and park heavy vehicles there. We are now consulting to find a way out as a community. But I want to call on government to look at this issue now before it’s too late

see pictures depicting the main gate of the university of jos permanent site

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Anaguta Community Raise Alarm over Land Dispute with Hausa-Fulani Community and Mins. of Lands