Residents of Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State have petitioned the state government for an alleged usurpation of grazing areas, private farmlands and public buildings by its Sole Administrator, Nura Abdullahi.

The petition to journalists in Gusau on Sunday dated June, 21, 2024, written by lawyers to the petitioners “Pearls and Falls Law Firm (Jama’are Chambers), and signed by Mr Julius Anthony, was addressed to Governor Dauda Lawal.

It stated, “We act as solicitors to the following citizens, Lawali Mainasara and Bello Umar, Buhari Sani and Murtala Tukur and 67-yr-old Umaru Ali-Danhayi. Other community members include a 75-yr-old Mallam Jahiru Aliyu, Mustapha Rabiu, Anas Bala, Jamilu Umar, Jamilu Hashimu and Nasiru Umar from (Kwatarkwashi Community Enlightenment Forum). Your Excellency, it is on this ground that our clients deemed it expedient to bring the petition against the current leadership of Bungudu LGA.

”It is for the deliberate usurpation of grazing areas, private farmlands and public buildings with impunity and the allocation of the same to self and cronies.’’

According to it, the designated grazing areas (Hurumi and Burtali), private farmlands and public buildings under Bungudu LGA were literally confiscated and allegedly allocated to self and cronies.

‘The petition added, “This was done without a just cause and the attendant consequences of exhibiting such reprehensible laxity to the security situation bedevilling the State. In Damba grazing area, Hurumi and Burtali that have for long been used by the herders and indeed cattle owners and their descendants in that community for the rearing of their cattle which were usurped by the sole administrator.

”Defiance to the fact of the same is tantamount to heating the polity, in spite of the fact that protestation and a plea for replacement were to no avail. Same in Kwahwa and Kekun wake (Danhayi).”

It also alleged that in Kwatarkwashi town, the sole administrator sold four units of houses to the local government.

The petition said, “In Bungudu town, there is an alleged plan to sell the public house built about 20 years ago currently being used by the Staff of Bungudu General Hospital. It may interest you to know that some of these issues, as highlighted, have hitherto been the bane of herder-farmer clashes that had garnered notoriety throughout the state and the economic well-being of the people negatively impacted.”

Contacted, the acting Sole Administrator of the Council, Kabiru Mainasara, described the petition as baseless.

“As I am speaking to you, I have received a copy of that petition and all the contents in the petition are not true. The petitioners acted on ignorance. We are the government, we know the value of due process in governance, we cannot act out of law and order,” he said.

Mr Mainasara urged the public to seek information on any issue, especially government’s processes before taking any decision.

(NAN)