Wadata Kasuwa Community In Wase Raises Alarm Over Alleged Plan By Staff Of Plateau Ministry Of Justice, Garkuwa Mavo To Grab Their Lands

Yakubu Busari

At least no fewer than 20 families in Wadata Kasuwa are battling with the staff of the Ministry of Justice, Plateau State who conspired with Garkuwa Mavo to convert their FADAMA site to family and cooperate membership.

The Tarok community of Kadarko District of Wase Local Government Area ( LGA) raised an alarm that Barrister Joel Takven employed the services of the Ministry of Land  and Survey to carry out the demarcation of the FADAMA which is located in Wadata Kasuwa when the traditional land owners vehemently stood again them.

The following families which include , Galadima Miri ,Ubandoma Miri ,Latim  Miri ,Boyi Vonjen ,Domnan Vonjen ,Nanbol Vonjen ,Audu Vonjen ,Ayuba Ngas ,Iya Wadata ,Baba Zambam ,Amos Danbana ,Sallah Funturu ,Mai-Riga Sani ,Marafa Ndam ,Mai-Angwan Deshi ,Gaisuwa Deshi who are the complainants alleged involvement of Barr. Joel Takven illegally brought his family and friends from Langtang south LGA to commence farming and demarcation of land.

The Ponzhi Wadata Kasuwa , HRH ,Domnan Vonjen who has been in the hospital undergoing treatment, said due to the poor conditions of health,  I appealed to the concerned traditional institution to intervene because the said Land was their only inheritance, as he said the Barr.Joel Takven group wants to claim their farmlands.

He said,” I have reported the encroachment of this farmland by one Barr. Joel Takven of the Ministry of Justice, Plateau State, his family, and Garkuwan Mavo but when a drastic measure was taken by Ponzhi Lot Nden they refused to honor his invitation.

Vonjen further said; “I learned he brought the staff of Ministry for Land and Survey to conduct a survey and put beacon without my knowledge and that very day there was a heavy downpour and the land owners ran back home and he took the advantage to commenced landscape and demarcation of the land”.

He explained further that the following persons are laying claim that they are the original owners, Bulus Dindam Rinkat Chiroma Arewa  ,Dipko Maikano ,Lohkur Commander ,Nansoh Pyal (Maiangwan ),Awal Kurnap Takven ,Nanfa Mallam ,Sunday Ramchak ,Napshat Soho Nanyak follow come  , those that constituted themselves into a new settlement with Nansoh Miri as the head of FADAMA Cinciya under Kadarko district.

Vonjen stressed that one Barr. Joel Takven recruited his younger brothers, Yohanna Takven , Kurnap Takven Nancwat Takven by bringing the staff of Land Survey Ministry to start producing land documents for them as original owners to displace them who are the land owners.

The spokesman of the land owners , Nanmwa Vonjen told journalists that the said land belongs to their ancestral fathers but just this year Takven family came and started cultivating the piece of land .

He said they complained to Ponzhi Lot Nden who is the custodian of Tarok land in Kadarko district of Wase LGA and he invited them and the matter was settled amicably but the Takven family invaded the land where they put beacons.

It was also gathered that they destroyed crops for this farming season when all the land owners were absent during the invasion of their traditional farmland, he alleged.

According to him, the Ponzhi Kadarko , HRH,Lot Nden cautioned them to stay clear of the disputed farmland because it doesn’t belong to them.

However, he disclosed that the matter was reported to the Wase Divisional Headquarters to wedge into the matter but the DPO refused that the land dispute is strictly meant for the traditional institution to address it, he explained.

Vonjen called on the appropriate authority to act fast to ensure that the safety of lives and properties of innocent citizens is not affected by the action taken by someone who is supposed to be a mediator in this issue of land tussle.