Yakubu Busari

….Appeal to the Plateau State Government and the Federal Government for Justice

The former All Progressives Congress, ( APC)  National Deputy Secretary and former Plateau State Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Mr Festus Volnoe Fuanter, who is now the Board Chairman, National Teachers’ Institute (NTI), Kaduna, has been accused of invasion of Muslim community lands in full cover and protection of all the Police Divisions in the Plateau-South Senatorial District and the Mobile Police of the Nigeria Police Force, stormed their community at Tudun Wada in Shendam, Shendam Local Government Area of the State where their building are located.

The statement read, ” It is with great sense of sorrow and agitation, we inform the world of our ordeal and plight in the hands of one Festus Volnoe Fuanter and his accomplices and cohorts.

“The Plateau State Command of the Nigeria Police Force; the Plateau State Government and some highly placed Nigerians from Shendam, Shendam Local Government Area of Plateau State who have attained national recognition in politics.

“We would like to first and foremost put on record that we are indigenes of Plateau State but we are Muslims, devout Muslims”,the statement alleged.

See Full Statement  Below:

We are Goemai and Ngas respectively but we are proud Muslims. What was meted out to us on the 22nd and the 24th days of October, 2025 were totally inconceivable in a sane and normal clime but in Plateau State it is now history.

 It is common knowledge that the major responsibility of every responsible government is protection of lives and property of the people it governs but unfortunately, from a reliable source, our homes and other property were said to be invaded and destroyed on the directive of the Plateau State Government as claimed by the State Police Command which ordinarily should give us maximum protection against our persecutors.

In a commodore style, and it was in the middle of the night, to be specific, at 1:00 a.m, when the former APC National Deputy Secretary and former Plateau State Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Mr Festus Volnoe Fuanter who is now the Board Chairman, National Teachers’ Institute (NTI), Kaduna, in full cover and protection of all the Police Divisions in the Plateau-South Senatorial District and the Mobile Police of the Nigeria Police Force, stormed our community at Tudun Wada in Shendam, Shendam Local Government Area of the State where our homes were located.

They interrupted our night rest, ejected us and destroyed our homes and other property. They used acid and force to demolish our homes.

The entire community was cordoned by the personnel of the Nigeria Police Force while our homes were being demolished allegedly on the directive of the Plateau State Government as claimed by the State Police Command. Festus Fuanter, who was represented by his Personal Assistant, Dongda Tenshep with support of the Goemai Youths who were mobilised and led by the National President, Goemai Youths Movement (GYM), Comrade Dominic Saje Gani perpetrated the dastardly acts as the Police provided them full protection.

Although residents of the community attempted to resist the midnight illegal invasion and destruction of our homes which they call OPERATION, they were tear-gassed, intimidated and overpowered by the well armed men of the Nigeria Police Force who were brought in from nine divisions within the six Local Government Areas in the Senatorial District to carry out Festus Fuanter’s bidding.

However, what is more worrisome about the incident is the impression that the Plateau State Government is said to have endorsed the operation and in support of Fuanter to unleash the wicked acts against innocent citizens of the State without any justification.

The Police provided full protection for the destroyers of our homes under the cover of the night. Our houses and other property worth hundreds of millions of Naira were destroyed during the invasion.

The person who sold the land to residents of the community almost two decades ago, Alhaji Muhammad Liba has been arrested by the Police and is being detained at the Shendam Police Divisional Headquarters in Shendam despite his ill health at the order of a privileged Nigerian, Festus Fuanter.

We, the victims of the dastardly acts including Yusuf Isa A.K.A Yusuf Baga,  Abbas Tega and Garba Muhammad Liba whose homes and other property were destroyed, decry and condemn the acts in the strongest terms possible and describe it as unjustifiable, barbaric, savage, premitive, uncivilised and uncalled self-help measure in the 21st Century.

We shall stand for our rights and call on all right thinking fellow patriotic countrymen and women to identify and stand with us in this our trying moment when blatant injustice is being meted out to us by our own people obviously because of our own faith.

We appeal to the Caleb Mutfwang led Government of Plateau State which is said to be behind the so-called operation to retrace her steps and ensure justice in the matter for we believe it must have been misinformed if at all it directed the operation.

We also appeal to the Federal Government law enforcement agencies and other relevant authorities to come to our aide as we have been rendered destitute by the Board Chairman, National Teachers’ Institute, Kaduna Mr Festus Fuanter who obviously lured some organisations and individuals to support him to destroy our homes because he feels he could take law into his hand and nothing would happen to him.

It is unimaginable that a person like Fuanter who was once time Commissioner for Lands and Survey in the State could resort to this kind of jungle justice in a land dispute that has been pending before a Court of competent jurisdiction.

 The Court of Appeal for that matter. It is therefore very unfortunate that a politician like Fuanter could take law into his hands and be that ruthless, insensitive, uncompassionate, tribalistic and bigotry to descend on innocent citizens in the middle of the night, disrupted their rest to render them destitute because he feels empowered under the president Tinubu led administration in the country.

We would like to also draw the attention of his political godfather and benefactor, the immediate past Governor of Plateau State, Senator Simon Bako Lalong to the dastardly acts of his godson in Shendam.

Let him know what his boy is doing to Muslims in Shendam, if at all he doesn’t know. Festus Fuanter is doing a great disservice to him in Shendam. We therefore, call on Senator Lalong to bring him to order and ensure that justice is done to us. We are law abiding and peace loving Nigerians who pursue their legitimate livelihoods devoid of any trouble making.

We will pursue justice in the matter to a logical conclusion no matter the hurdles we shall encounter.

To the Nigeria Police Force, we would like to say that we are not criminals but law abiding and peaceful Nigerians who contribute to the growth and development of the country and whose taxes are used to pay the police.

 The Nigeria Police Force should know that it is meant to protect the lives and property of innocent and unsuspecting Nigerians but not be used as an instrument for intimidation, injustice maltreatment, humiliation and torment in the hands of some few privileged Nigerians.

We therefore, urge the Inspector General of Police, Igbetekun to order immediate thorough investigations into the incident in Shendam to ascertain the level of involvement of the Plateau State Command of the Force in the illegal invasion and destruction of our homes and ensure appropriate sanctions in the matter for justice to prevail. It is clear that the State Command was exploited to victimise us because we are nobody.

However, we are confident that Nigeria is not yet that banana Republic where only the fittest survive. We are governed by law. The rule of law is greatly upheld. People occupying privileged positions in the Country are not above but below the law. They must not only obey the law but must be seen to do so.

 They must not be allowed to take law into their hands and go away with it. They must be brought to book like any other Nigerian. They must account for their actions no matter how highly placed in society.

We look forward to positive responses to our plight from relevant institutions and well meaning individuals who have passion for justice while we head for Court of law to seek justice.

However, effort to speak with Barr. Festus Fuanter on the alleged invasion prove abortive as he refused to respond to calls and texts messages sent to him.