Village head, others sue Kwara Poly over land dispute

The 135-year-old village head of Gatta in Ilorin, Kwara State, AbdulKareem Akanji, and 11 others have slammed a N2.4billion lawsuit on Kwara State Polytechnic for alleged encroachment and disregard for court proceedings.

He sued the rector, Ðr. Abd Jimoh Mohammed, the polytechnic, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and four others.

The village hosting a farm on which Kwara State Polytechnic recently harvested crops and cereals worth N13 million kicked against the action of the polytechnic and its Rector for harvesting on the disputed land.

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They told The Guardian Newspaper that a writ of summons and statement of claims in suit number KWS/238/2024 was filed on 28th May 2024 at an Ilorin High Court.

According to the community, the writ was served on the Rector and the polytechnic, to which they had filed a reply, “the case, is fixed for October this year,” wondering why the polytechnic, particularly the Rector still went ahead to function on a land in dispute.

The community alleged that the polytechnic had flagrantly used NSCDC operatives to harass, assault, and intimidate the villagers since the land dispute began in March this year.

The claimants demand N220 million individually from each defendant for alleged trespass and other claims.

Meanwhile, Dr. Mohammed during the harvesting described the farm as a N13-million maize and cassava project, saying that he had turned the mirage into reality.

He disclosed this to journalists at a briefing and harvesting of an earlier 20-acre farm of maize and cassava, saying the occasion marked the school’s foray into commercial farming.

According to him, the intention was to support Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s programme in enhancing food production and assisting the Polytechnic community and members of the public.

He said, “We began by engaging in commercial farming, we deployed this initiative to reduce the vacant land, discourage encroachment, and make food available and affordable to the members of the polytechnic communities and Kwarans,” he said.

“Come next rainy season, the management is planning to cultivate another 20 hectares and we are also considering giving an opportunity to the members of the public who may be interested in leasing a space for farming.”