A livestock farmer, Alhaji Saidu Umaru, has sued the Plateau State Government, the permanent secretary, Ministry of Finance, and two others over alleged seizure of grazing land permit, in Jawando Area of Wase Local Government Area of the State.
The plaintiff in a suit no. PLD/J532/19, pending before the Plateau State High Court, said that he has been using the land for more than 40 years, but that the defendants wanted to dislodge him despite securing a legitimate grazing permit in 2014 from the Ministry of Agriculture.
According to the plaintiff, in a statement of claims contained in the writ of summons he was granted a 50-year permit by the 4th defendant, the state Ministry of Agriculture after paying all the required fees for 10 years, which was expected to elapse in four years.
Alhaji Umaru alleged that the government wanted to revoke his permit.
He claimed that all terms and conditions of the grazing permit have not been defaulted by him at any point but that he was suddenly threatened and was arrested and detained by the police, for two days, at the Crime Investigation and Intelligent Department, Police headquarters Jos for no reason.
He further sought for the court declaration affirming, his lawful occupation of the land, that the grazing permit granted to him by the 2nd defendant was valid having not been revoked by the rightful authority at any point.
The suit is also asking the court for “an order directing the defendants, their agents, and privies not to interfere with the peaceful enjoyment of the plaintiff’s right over the grazing land that he is occupying by a permit granted to him by 2nd defendant through the 4th defendant at Jawando in Wase LGA of Plateau State.
He is also seeking for an order directing the defendants to pay him the sum of N5 million as general damages jointly and severally, as well as the cost of the action to the plaintiff.”
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