Court cautions DSS over alleged violation of injunction in Bauchi land dispute

A Bauchi State High Court has cautioned the Department of State Services (DSS) against any action that could violate an existing court order restraining it from entering a disputed parcel of land in Firo village, Ganjuwa Local Government Area of the state.

The warning was issued on Thursday by Justice Aliyu Bin Idris during proceedings in suit No. BA/251/2026 filed by Hajiya Fatima Abdullahi, Ishaq Mohammed Kobi and Murtala Ismail.

The plaintiffs instituted the case against the Bauchi State Ministry of Lands and Survey, the Attorney General of Bauchi State, and the DSS, Bauchi State Command.

Justice Idris reaffirmed an earlier order restraining the DSS and officials of the Ministry of Lands and Survey from interfering with the disputed land located near the Gubi Dam area pending the determination of the suit.

Speaking after the court session, counsel to the plaintiffs, Abdullatif Gwani Isa, said the claimants approached the court after alleging that DSS operatives, alongside some officials of the Ministry of Lands and Survey, entered the farmland without notice, consultation or lawful authority, and began marking it for possible acquisition.

According to him, the court had earlier granted an interim injunction to protect the claimants’ rights and maintain the status quo pending the hearing of the matter.

He stated that the court again stressed the need for strict compliance with its order following allegations that activities were still taking place on the land despite the subsisting injunction.

“The court restrained both the DSS and officials of the Ministry of Lands from entering the farmland for acquisition, compensation assessment or demarcation pending the determination of the matter and until due legal procedures are followed,” he said.

Isa disclosed that while the Ministry of Lands and Survey had filed and served its response to the suit, the DSS was yet to do so.

He explained that the hearing of a motion on notice seeking an interlocutory injunction could not proceed because the ministry had not completed service of its processes on the DSS.

The lawyer added that Justice Idris further reminded counsel representing the DSS and the ministry to ensure that their clients fully complied with the court’s directives pending the next adjourned date.

He maintained that the claimants were not opposed to any lawful acquisition of the land by the government, provided the provisions of the Land Use Act, including the issuance of acquisition notices and payment of compensation where necessary, were strictly observed.

One of the plaintiffs, Hajiya Fatima Abdullahi, told journalists that the claimants lawfully acquired the land through purchases and allocations from the Ganjuwa Local Government Authority and had enjoyed uninterrupted possession over the years.

She said the owners had engaged in farming and other activities on the property without interference until the current dispute emerged.

According to her, portions of land in the area were acquired by the Ministry of Lands in 2020 for the establishment of a DSS training school, but the acquisition did not cover the land now in contention.

Fatima further claimed that the DSS indicated interest in purchasing additional plots from her in 2024. She said she expressed willingness to sell but received no response from the agency and subsequently continued offering the plots to other prospective buyers.

She alleged that the DSS and officials of the Ministry of Lands later entered the disputed property without acquisition notices or compensation and began installing beacons and demarcating the area.

The claimant also alleged that some DSS personnel threatened landowners and warned them against entering or working on the property.

She appealed to the court to ensure justice was done, noting that part of the disputed land belonged to orphans under her care.

Justice Idris subsequently adjourned the case to July 16, 2026, for hearing of the motion on notice and to allow for proper service of the ministry’s processes on the DSS.