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Gyang Bere, Jos
Management, staff and students of the University of Jos are in pain and agony. Hoodlums suspected to be land-grabbers from Naraguta village in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State unleashed a bloody attack on the management of the institution recently.
The event occurred in the morning of Saturday, February 22, 2020, when a management team from the university was demarcating the institution’s land to stem encroachment. The attack left several students and other persons injured.
Suspected hoodlums from the neighbouring village invaded the scene and demanded that the university officials stop their activities on the land, claiming that the land in question belonged to them. They said parts of the land had been sold to certain individuals.
Security personnel initially repelled the hoodlums and prevented them from attacking those demarcating the land. But they went back and engaged more hoodlums from neighbouring communities who then launched a bloody attack on those demarcating the land and inflicted injuries on them.
Students of the institution were not spared, as those resident in Naraguta village were identified and beaten up by the hoodlums, inflicting injuries on them.
Houses belonging to the villagers where students were resident were also identified, destroyed and set on fire, leaving the occupants homeless.
A 72-year-old widow, Esther Ayuba, who was housing students in her residence, was currently homeless. Her house was destroyed and set ablaze by the hoodlums.
She was seen lamenting besides the burnt house, pleading with the state government to come to her aid. The widow has no means of survival at the moment, as she lived on the rent paid by her tenants, the students.
Management of the University of Jos has insisted that the institution would come up with stringent measures that would stem further encroachment on their land.
Senior Deputy Registrar, Vice Chancellor office, Wilson Yale, in a statement gave a clear explanation who how the university community obtained the land and how some individuals had been encroaching on the property over the years.
He recalled that the land in question, which belonged to the defunct Nigerian Bricks and Clay Products Limited, was purchased by the university through competitive bidding from the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE).
Since the acquisition of the land, the university said it had been under siege by land grabbers, leading to erection of illegal structures most of which he alleged were built at night.
He said the university community, as a law-abiding institution, sought the intervention of the state government, which led to the constitution of a ten-man committee under the leadership of the former Management Committee Chairman of Jos North Local Government Area.
The committee, it was further gathered, had representatives from the Ministry of Land, Survey and Town Planning, University of Jos, the Jatau Family, Jos Metropolitan Development Board (JMDB), MD/CEO Ron Properties Development Company, The District Head of Righizah, Senior Ward Head of Naraguta and Ministry of Justice, Plateau State.
Yale said: “The committee submitted its report to the state government, and after a careful study of the report, the state government came up with a White Paper in November, 2019. The White Paper authenticated the Certificate of Occupancy No PL9636 issued in 1988 measuring 119.50 hectares issued to the Nigerian Bricks and Clay Products Limited, now property of the University of Jos.
“The unfortunate incidence of Saturday, 22nd day of February, 2020 happened when the university was trying to secure its land by digging a trench to stop further encroachment into the land.
“Some irate youth forcefully chased workers on the site. Though this was not the first time they have been confronting the workers, the recent turned out to be the most violent in which students were attacked and wounded, houses rented by students of the University and a place of worship with several other property destroyed.”
The Plateau State Government reacted promptly to the situation when it summoned an emergency meeting with the University of Jos Management, the two traditional rulers of Rigizah and Naraguta and others from the two communities.
Government condemned the act of violence on the innocent community and resolved, among others, that: “The property in question is covered by a Certificate of Occupancy legitimately acquired by the University of Jos.
“The university therefore has the right to demarcate and secure its property against encroachment by land grabbers. The university should continue with the work it has started. The University should dig its trench for the demarcation three metres away from any existing old building.
“All illegal buildings that sprung up after the acquisition of the land by the university should be demolished and. It was recommended that an Implementation Advisory Committee would be set up for the implementation of the Government White-Paper.”
President of Anaguta Youth Movement (AYM), Moses Dawang, has condemned the attack on the University and Naraguta community. He urged the security agencies to fish out the perpetrators for punishment.
Dawang who briefed journalists in Jos, called on the state government to assist the community over the destruction of their homes and place of worship. He insisted that Anaguta community was the owner of Jos North and the host community of all the land housing the University of Jos, thereby making them the host community of the prestigious institution.
“As the host community, we are aware that the University of Jos has legitimately and properly acquired every land it is situated upon. It will be recalled that on the said day, while going about our normal activities, a group of hoodlums decided to attack our community at Naraguta Village in the guise of protesting the demarcation of land by the University of Jos authorities.
“We the Anaguta Youth Movement are encouraging the authorities of the University of Jos and the government to continue the demarcation of all their legitimate lands in order to secure and protect government properties against land grabbers, speculators and hoodlums who are bent on taking advantage of the university land that is not fenced.
“As a community, we all know that no one is above the law, so there is every need for the security agencies to be decisive in dealing with the people that have repeatedly attacked the management of the University of Jos whenever they embark on visits to their land. Also, the government was not spared from such attacks by those hoodlums and land grabbers.
“We are calling on all Anaguta people that are alienating the property belonging to the University of Jos to stop forthwith or we shall handle them appropriately.
“We call on the government to urgently reach out to our community that suffered great loss as a result of the attack, as our people are left without houses and churches.”
The youth leader regretted that the houses and churches were destroyed in the guise of protesting against the demarcation of land by the university authorities.
