Court restrains Nasarawa govt from arresting farmers amid seizure of 10,000 hectares

The Federal High Court in Abuja has issued an order restraining the Nasarawa State government and security agencies from arresting farmers or interfering with their rights, pending the resolution of a legal dispute over the alleged forcible seizure of 10,000 hectares of farmland.

The ruling was delivered by Justice Peter Lifu in response to a fundamental rights motion ex parte, marked FHC/CS/ABJ/1044/2024, filed by Sambo Vongjen Esq on behalf of his client, a representative of the affected farmers.

DAILY POST reports that the farmers claimed that the Nasarawa State government seized their ancestral lands for agricultural projects without offering any form of compensation or alternative livelihood.

The respondents in the case include the Nigerian Army, the Inspector General of Police, the Nasarawa State Commissioner of Police, the Nasarawa State Governor, and the Nasarawa State Commissioner for Agriculture.

The dispute arose after the Nasarawa State government announced the commencement of agricultural projects on the seized lands, which are part of the federal government’s food security initiatives.

On June 29, 2024, the government shared on Facebook that Governor Abdullahi Sule had inspected a section of the 10,000-hectare farm designated for rice production in Jangwa, located in the Awe Local Government Area.

In the affidavit supporting the motion, Felix Upav Saaior, representing the affected Tiv communities, asserted that the government’s actions would displace the farmers, depriving them of their only source of livelihood.

He detailed how the farmers woke up on June 10, 2024, to find their cultivated farmlands and crops destroyed by government agents, with security forces overseeing the operation.

The farmers argued that the compulsory acquisition of their land, conducted without proper legislation or a public memorandum, is unconstitutional and violates their rights to property and freedom from discrimination.

They fear the loss of their livelihood and permanent displacement as a result of the government’s actions.

During the court hearing on Monday, August 26, 2024, the lawyer for the farmers urged Justice Lifu to grant the motion ex parte, which would temporarily restrain the respondents from arresting the applicants or taking further action against them.

The court granted the request, providing temporary relief to the farmers while the case proceeds.