Buhari’s Government Drags Kaduna Governor, El-Rufai To Court Over Encroachment Of School Land

 

President Muhammadu Buhari-led Nigerian government has sued the Kaduna State government over the state government’s attempt to forcibly take part of the land of the Federal Government College (FGC), Malali.

There are allegations that the administration of Governor Nasir El-Rufai wants to take the land for friends and cronies to build private mansions.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian government has said the action of the Kaduna State government exposes the staff and students of the school to security threats.

In a writ of summons, the Nigerian government sought among others “A declaration that the claimants through the FGC Kaduna are the rightful owner of all the land comprising the FGC and including the land at the bank of River Kaduna.

“A declaration that the FGC, Kaduna be allowed to achieve its mandate in peace as enshrined in the Act establishing it and as provided under the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

“An order of restoration of the fence pulled down by the defendants to its original status.

“An order of prohibition forbidding the defendants from depriving the claimant the use of all the land granted the college through the claimants in achieving their mandate.

“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants whether by themselves, agents, servants or privies from committing further acts of trespass on Federal Government College land Kaduna.”

The Nigerian government also prayed for an order of perpetual injunction restraining her (the defendant) from committing further acts of trespass on the school land.

Also, the Nigerian government petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), asking for the deployment of police personnel to protect the students, staff and properties of the school from the state government.

SaharaReporters in April reported how the Old Students Association of the FGC rejected the attempt by the state government to forcibly use part of the school land for private buildings, saying that they have information that the land area had already been shared among friends and cronies of the state governor, El-Rufai.

The FGC alumni noted that a similar move was made in 2015 and rebuffed, adding that on April 17, 2023, the state government, through the Permanent Secretary, Kaduna State Ministry of Lands, Surveys and Country Planning, wrote to the school principal and within 30 minutes of delivering the letter, deployed bulldozers to commence work.

The President of FGC Kaduna Old Students Association, Seyi Gambo, recalled that on February 12, 2015, a letter was dispatched from the Office of the Director of Basic and Secondary Education Department, Federal Ministry of Education to the Kaduna State Ministry of Lands, Surveys and Country Planning.

“I am one amongst many which include captains of industries, military generals, billionaires and hard-working old students who are scattered across the globe from all Nigeria tribes who have adopted Kaduna as our cradle.

“It was thus a rude shock to witness on Monday 17th, 2023 the physical excision and occupation of acres of land by the Kaduna State Government. We have benefitted immensely from the success of our school, we will not watch some leaders illegally take an inch of the land of our school, Federal Government College Kaduna as this we are told is the first of future balkanization of the parameters of other Unity Schools across Nigeria,” he said.

According to Gambo, in the letter titled, ‘Re: Illegal Access At The South-Western Fence Of Federal Government College, Malali, Kaduna,’ the federal ministry rejected the attempt by the Kaduna State government to “excise 45 metres of land from the South-Western end of the fence inwards along the stretch of Umar Mohammed Road to provide plots for immediate development”.

“This request was totally rejected by the Minister of Education under whose ministry our school falls within. This letter was received by the Permanent Secretary of the Kaduna State Lands Ministry,” he added.

However, no date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit filed by the Nigerian Government at the Kaduna State High Court.