Land dispute: Niger gov asks parties to withdraw court cases

Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State has asked parties in a land dispute in Ja’agi Community in Mokwa LGA of the state to withdraw all pending court cases and give peace a chance.

Daily Trust reports that many people have been severely injured in the lingering crisis. A 50-year-old woman lost one of her eyes last Tuesday when rioting youths hit her with a stone.

While meeting with the representatives of both parties in the government house on Tuesday, Bello warned that the state government would not allow anybody take the law into their hands and breach the peace of the state.

He directed the deputy governor, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Ketso, to constitute an assessment panel to establish the level of destruction of property during the crisis for prompt humanitarian intervention to the victims.

The governor also directed the Etsu Nupe and Chairman, Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, to immediately appoint a new village head for the community.

In his remarks, the deputy governor said he had made several interventions in the past to resolve the crisis but which did not yield positive results.

Ketso urged the two factions to sheath their swords for peace, unity and progress of the community.

The representatives of the community signed an undertaking with a promise to allow peace a chance.

(Daily Trust)