College of Agriculture and Animal Science(CAAS), Ahmadu Bello University, Mando Campus, Kaduna, raised alarm over the encroachment of its land by the Kaduna State Government and its Agencies. The Provost of the College, Dr. Hassan Hamidu divulges during a press conference at the College on Tuesday.
Dr Hassan noted that, despite a court order dated on the 18th January 2022, appeasing the Government and its agencies from transgressing on its land, the agencies have moved demolishing fences to claim the land belonging to the college.
According to the Order signed by the Registrar of the Kaduna State High Court, Zaria division, Jafaru Ibrahim, the order shall prevail pending the determination of the Motion filed along with the Writs of Summons and Statement of Claim.
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The Order contained that, “An interim order is granted in favor of the Plaintiff/ Applicant against the Defendants, restraining Defendants, their servants, agents and privies from further entering, further trespassing and/or purportedly excising the Plaintiff’s land covering 196.258 hectares situate at College of Agriculture and Animal Science (Mando),
Ahmadu Bello University, specifically described by a Survey Sketch Plan and Satellite Imagery.”
Reacting to the development, the Provost lamented that the Demolishing of the Fence by the suspected Kaduna State agents has exposed the College, Staff, and Students to security threat considering the ravaging Kidnapping and Banditry in the axis.
He described the action of the Kaduna state government as a desperate act to take- over the land of the College.
Dr. Hamidu explained that in 2012, a committee headed by the then Comptroller Works and Housing was set up to demarcate the land between the College of Agriculture and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, while submitting its reports in 2014, the Committee advised the Mando College to Fence it own entire boundary to prevent further encroachment, which was duly carried out and has been serving as a grazing area for the college’s livestock.
He, however, said, despite the fencing, attempts were made to take the land from the College, the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing approached the authorities of ABU to give parts of the land to the ministry, which was denied”
“Thereafter, they claimed that a portion of the fenced area was a portion of their land seven years after demarcation of which was established to be false, Kaduna Geographic and Information Service, KADGIS, attempted to carry out a survey and demarcate plots of land within the fenced area, which the college resisted”, he said.Â
When Journalists were taking on a tour around the land, Bulldozer was seen pulling down the fence and clearing the Land. Meanwhile, Director General of KADGIS, Mrs. Altine Jibrin declined comments on the matter, saying it is still in court. She also declined the bulldozers cited on the site, saying the agency does not operate with bulldozers.
