Shadawanka communities surrounding Army Barracks in Bauchi Local Government Area of Bauchi State have protested over what they referred to as forceful ejection and confiscation of their houses, farmlands by the Bauchi Emirate Council and the Nigerian Army.
Residents carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs blocked Bauchi-Jos road forcing traveller’s and commuters stranded for over five hours.
Read Also: Hoodlums break skull of Almajiri pupil, remove brain in Bauchi
It took the intervention of the security adviser to the Bauchi State Governor, Brigadier General Marcus Yake, to convince the protesters to open the road with a pledge that the overnment and all stakeholders will meet to resolve the matter peacefully within 24 hours.
The protesters, including Habibu Abubakar, 25, Aishatu Sani, 54, and Hadiza Ahmadu, 70, who spoke to reporters, said they have been living in their villages for over 150 years, adding that they inherited their lands from their forefathers and have been utilizing same for residential, grazing, farming, as their only means of livelihood.
They said that since during the Gowon administration in 1972 to 74 when Shadawanka Barracks was built, they have been living there and the barracks is separated from the communities but between 1982 to 1985, a part of Shadawanka was demarcated to be used as Shadawanka barracks and Obienu barracks, and the communities did not in anyway form part of the two barracks.
The communities said in 2019, a Memorandum of Understanding was prepared by the Bauchi Emirate Council and some members of the community were forced to sign the document without their knowledge since they are illiterates.
On Friday, the representative of the Emirate and the representative of the Army asked the communities to vacate the lands because the Army wants to fence the land for security reasons.
“But as citizens of Nigeria, the constitution guarantee our rights to ownership of our lands, some communities were paid compensation but they didn’t pay us. How can they eject us from our lands?
“They said since when the matter came sometimes back even Army traced that they didn’t pay us a kobo since during Gowon administration,” the residents said.
They appealed to the Bauchi State Governor Senator Bala Mohammed to intervene and save the community so that they will not be forcefully ejected from their lawful houses under his watch.
The communities said they want to be treated with fairness and justice.
A source at the Bauchi Emirate Council said “the issue has been lingering because when General Tukur Buratai was the Chief of Army, there was fracas between the Army and the community. They took their complaint to the emirate and the emirate intervened and reached out to Buratai for amicable resolution of the issue. Status quo was maintained and they started and fenced the non-disputed area, and now in the interest of security they want to fence their land.”
He appealed for caution and understanding to avoid anything that will lead to the break down of law and order in the state.
The Special Adviser to Bauchi State Governor on Security retired Brigadier General Yake said he intervened by enlightening the community to understand that the people plying the road, many of them had nothing to do with the barracks or community. “They are innocent travelers and they shouldn’t do anything that will lead to destruction of lives and properties.”
He pledged to brief the governor and to summon all stakeholders in order to resolve the matter amicably.
Yake pleaded with the Army and the contractors handling the project to maintain the status quo and assured that everything will be resolved within a short time.
